


Crashing into New Beginnings and Memories

by animefan021513



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Blood Magic, Childhood Memories, Epic Friendship, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jack Needs a Hug, Jack being Jack, Love Confessions, Magic, Memories, Minor Violence, POV Sanderson Mansnoozie, Protective Sanderson Mansnoozie, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Sassy Sanderson Mansnoozie, Some Humor, Telepathic Bond, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 12:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animefan021513/pseuds/animefan021513
Summary: As the Guardians are in a meeting to discuss Christmas preparations, Sandy let's it slip that they don't know Jack that well, but what happens when the Guardians go through Jack's memories and find that he knows Jack better than anyone? How did Sandy become a father figure? What happened during the blizzard of '68? Since when was Jack married? Since when did he have kids!? Who exactly are the Groundhog and the Leprechaun? READ AND FIND OUT!





	1. Chapter 1

It was a monthly meeting yet again, and I was sitting next to Jack. We listened and watched as Bunny and North had the same argument they ALWAYS have when we meet up.  _'Hey, Jack?'_  I thought to him. He was the only one in the room that knew what I really sounded like, and as amazing at it was, it was also very strange. However, at the moment, that wasn't what was on my mind.

 _'Yeah, Sandy?'_  He replied mentally, because for some reason, it was a two way connection.

 _'How long until you think they'll stop?'_  I let out a silent sigh as I interlocked my fingers over my belly while I leaned back on my cloud.

I heard him voice a warm chuckle and watched him shake his head.  _'I was going to ask you that.'_

I rolled my eyes and continued to watch the fight. Tooth was growing quite irritated, but she was acting more as a referee in case it got too out of hand. She was good at that. "I'm tellin' ya, mate! Ya don't put in HALF the effort I do for Easter! I have to plant all of the flowers...ya hear me! ALL of them! I start RIGHT after Easter! Then, I have to keep up with ALL of them and make sure they're watered and got plenty of sunlight durin' the day! I CONSTANTLY make chocolates and I work HARD for the little ankle-biters!"

"I work hard too, Bunny." North huffed out a lot more calmly than Bunny, but that was just their nature. Bunny would shout, North would be calm, but still defending his holiday. "I know you work hard. I don't doubt that, old friend, but you paint the eggs, put them down, move on to the next one, or you have garden do it for you during crunch time."

"And ya have your yetis, and stars above, we all know that your elves don't do anything useful!"

"Yes, they do. They just can't make toys. Now, you KNOW that I do preparations right after a night's rest when I get back. You know that I start on list, presents, assignments for yeti, and other things. We BOTH work hard, all I suggested was that this meeting be to discuss what to do about this year's Christmas party? It is end of November, we should be thinking about these things, and since we will all be here...and so will other spirits to greet Jack as a new Guardian, we should all discuss it together."

My eyes widened a bit at seeing Bunny sigh. _'Defeat? So easily?'_  I chuckled lightly as I shook my head.

_'Not so sure. This is Bunny we're talking about. By the way, have you told them that we can communicate like this? I know I was made a Guardian just this year, but I never heard you bring it up.'_

_'And I don't plan to unless they find out, or unless I absolutely have to. You should know that already.'_ I let out a huff of air as I slightly pursed my lips in contemplation.  _'This...what we can do Jack...it's different and special...'_

_'WHOA! Sandy...not my type!'_

_'Oh, shut it!'_  I laughed.  _'We've had this conversation CENTURIES ago! Besides, you know damn well that I KNOW I'm not your type!'_

 _'I know.'_  He chuckled with a nod of his head.  _'So, what were you saying?'_

_'I told you years ago...No one else can do it. No one can hear me like you can. I enjoy it, but I'm already strange enough being mute to everyone else.'_

_'Yeah, but I can hear you just fine. You're not mute to me as you are right now.'_

_'Yes, and they think you've been completely alone for three hundred years.'_

Jack nodded his head, and it seemed that the argument was coming to a close. "Alright! Fine!" Bunny shouted. "We both work just as hard! Just remember your words, North."

"I have good memory. Now, to get back to business."

"Finally!" Tooth sighed out and stretched out her arm so she could lay her head on it. "How do the two of you argue about the same thing when you see each other and manage to argue from anywhere to a few minutes to a  _whole HOUR!?_ "

"I guess that's just the kind of friendship they have." Jack grinned. "So, what's this about a party?"

"Is Christmas party." North answered with pride in his eyes to which I mentally rolled my eyes and sent a groan towards Jack, causing him to try and hold back his smirk. "You are smiling already, that is good!"

 _'Not when Sandy's purposely trying to break you in the middle of a conversation!'_  He laughed inside his mind, and I couldn't help but grin.

To cover it up I sent a symbol of Jack and fireworks.  _"Perhaps he's just excited!"_

 _'Yeah, let's go with that.'_  He rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe if I knew more about the party I would be. I just like the idea of a party."

"Right!" North bellowed and none of the others saw the quick mischievous glare Jack sent my way, causing me to grin even wider. "We have one every year, but this year it will be VERY special! All types of spirits will be there! Mother Nature and her spirits will be there! So will a lot of others. They will meet you and we will introduce you as the Guardian of Fun!"

At that, mine and Jack's eyes both widened. _"North?"_  I started with my symbols catching his attention. _"Don't you think that may be a bit much?"_  I questioned, careful of my words.  _"We don't actually know that much about Jack. I don't think we can properly introduce him to them if we don't-"_  I was interrupted when a moon beam shined through the ceiling.  _'Oh no...I'm about to regret saying that aren't I?'_

 _'I think we BOTH are!'_  Jack groaned at me and we watched as the moon beam shined and narrowed in on Tooth's image on the Guardian symbol in the floor.

"You want us to look at Jack's memories?" Tooth questioned and the moon beam blinked once for yes. "Since he was mortal AND a spirit?" Another blink and I tried my best not to face palm myself while Jack glared at me, but only briefly.

_'Don't you look at me like that! I'm not going to like this any more than you will!'_

_'I know...but...'_

"Well...Jack...do you still have your memory box?" Tooth questioned, placing her hands on her hips, and I turned to face Jack to cross my arms, sending him a disapproving look.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Sandy. I was going to give them back...honest."

I rolled my eyes and watched as Jack handed Tooth the canister. "Thank you." She nodded her head and placed her hand on her image on the floor, causing the image to lift up from the floor. She then placed it in a slot the rest of us were familiar with. "We've done this for each other before. LONG before you were made a spirit I suspect."

"Wait...you all don't know how long I've been a spirit?" Jack blinked and for a moment, I slightly flinched along with everyone else.

"Not exactly, but you cannot be that old." North stated.

_'I'm sorry...'_

_'It's alright...looks like they're gonna find out.'_

_'Unfortunately. You know...we'll never hear the end of it.'_

_'LITERALLY! Eternity is a LONG time!'_  As soon as the image was back in the floor everything around us faded and changed. "What is this?"

"Memory travel. A lot like time travel, but through memories. Most things we phase through, but some things we can touch. However, everything will feel completely real. We'll hear, taste, touch, smell, and see everything in your memories. It will also include moments that you weren't in, but were talked about. That's Manny's personal touch. Also one of his magics is that we'll hear your thoughts as if you were speaking them. Both in your mortal and immortal life."

"Great." He groaned out. "So, where do we start?" He turned to me and I held up a baby in a blanket.

_'From your birth.'_

"Are you serious!? From when I was born? I don't remember...oh...but that definitely included me."

"Exactly." Tooth nodded and everything settled, and we were in a cabin of some sort in a bedroom and there was a lady with chestnut brown hair, maple brown eyes that were exhausted, and obviously this was a while after he was born, because the blankets and linens were recently changed and she seemed to have been done feeding him.

_"Oh, my sweet little Jackson Overland Frost! Today's your birthday. After twelve hours of you being stubborn, today of all days is your birthday! December 25th, 1698."_

"WHAT!?" Everyone but me shouted, because Jack told me a little bit about his memories. He also told me that there was A LOT he was missing still and that he only had a birthday, and some memories from when he was older, but he refused to tell me how he became a spirit, so that was going to be interesting.

_Someone walked through all of us, but it wasn't like not being believed in. It was just the way it was, and it seemed to be a man about as tall as Bunny. He had wavy dirty blonde hair that stopped at the base of his neck, and he had a thick beard of the same color while his eyes were an ice blue like the Jack we know. "I came as soon as I heard!"_

_"Ah, James!" She grinned with tired eyes. "You were right. It was a boy."_

_He nodded his head and sat in a chair next to her, and uncovered Jack's face from the blanket to reveal an adorable and very tiny baby boy with the same hair and eyes as his mother. "Oh-ho! And you look just like your mother! I wish you could've at least had my eyes." James ran a loving hand through Jack's hair and I smiled at the scene before me. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner..."_

_"I was in labor for twelve hours..." She stated sadly. "...where were you?"_

_"I was in the next village. I rode here as fast as I could."_

_"But...that's...that's a full days ride!" She exclaimed._

_"I know...but they needed medicine and I'm the closest herbalist from there and the next village. The other village is two days ride, and you know that. I'm sorry! I'm here now."_

_She nodded her head in understanding. "You're right. You're here now. Do you want to hold him? His name is Jackson Overland Frost."_

_He nodded his head and took Jack into his arms to where Jack gave a bright smile. "Oh, smiling big already? Well, aren't you just the embodiment of joy?" The man chuckled as he glanced down at his wife. "So, will you let me tell him the stories?"_

_"James..." She rolled her eyes._

_"He's an infant and later he'll be a child. They are stories for children, Elizabeth."_

_"I know, but...that's all they are...stories!"_

_"To you." He chuckled. "So?"_

_"Fine!" She groaned with a smile. "You wonderful, perfect, kind, CHILDISH man...you can tell him the stories of the Guardians."_

At that, all of us gaped at the memory including Jack. "Stories...about us?"

"I-I...I didn't see those in my memories..."

"How far did you get?" Tooth asked as she waved at the memory to stop.

"I...I never saw younger than fourteen, but I remembered some naturally after ten. They're still coming back to me, but I gained a few more memories than just the ones I saw."

"We're all in for a ride then..." She sighed as she waved at the memory again, but it shifted and we were outside with Jack and his Father. His mother wasn't around at the moment, but it was obviously spring if the blooms in the trees were any indication.

_Jack seemed to be about four and he was eating an apple that his father just gave him. "Daddy...shtory?" He asked with a mouthful of food._

_"Story?" The man asked and Jack nodded. "Hmm...Do you know who the Sandman is?"_

_"No." He said with slight exaggeration that would of course come from Jack as a child. I couldn't help the slight silent chuckle as I watched the scene and I was eager to see what the man would say about me._

_"Well, he's a man that can control sand."_

Jack's face twisted into a highly unamused expression and at that point I was laughing, rolling back on my cloud. "Alright, you don't have to laugh that hard at my facial expression." Once I was calm I sat back up and watched the memory progress.

_"Now, don't give me that look." The man laughed out and my eyes widened, because that's the same way I would say it to Jack sometimes._

_"But that's boring!"_

_"No it's not and you wanna know why?" Jack nodded as he took another bite of his apple. "Well, it's a special type of sand. It's called dream sand and at night, for the little boys and girls that are resting their heads and after all of the candles have been blown out, he sends it into the rooms of children to give them sweet dreams."_

_"Really!?"_

_"Yes, really. However, he doesn't just do it for the children that believe in him."_

_"He...He doesn't?" Jack asked with a tilt of his head. "Why not?"_

_"Because, to him, every child is special."_

_"I'm...I'm special too?"_

_"Of course! What makes you think otherwise?" James questioned with a worried expression._

_"Nothing really." Jack shrugged. "But...the other kids say that I'm strange because...because you still believe in them all."_

_"The Guardians?"_

_"Yeah, them."_

_James let out a heavy sigh. "Do you believe?"_

_"I dunno." He shrugged again as he looked sadly at his apple. "Mama says that I can believe in whatever I want."_

_"Ah, I see I've finally won the argument." He chuckled warmly and shook his head. "That's right. You can believe in whatever you want."_

_"Okay...but...how come you don't get presents from Santa on Christmas?"_

_"Because, I'm not a child. I can believe as much as I want, and it's true...I still believe in them, but I'm not a child."_

_"That makes sense I guess..."_

_"Jack...do you want to believe in the Sandman?"_

_"I-I can do that?"_

_"Just like you believe in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny."_

_Jack nodded his head and put his apple down. Then, he placed his hands over his heart. "Sandman is real." Jack then looked up at his father and started laughing lightly. "He's there!"_

_"Is he now? Are you sure?"_

_"YEAH! I believe in the Sandman!"_

_"That's good. Now c'mon. We have to finish our lunch before your mother gets back. You're still supposed to be grounded for breaking the vase."_

_"I said I was sorry!" Jack pouted as he took defiant bite of his apple and I just shook my head with a slight grin at the sight and my heart felt warm at Jack's words._

_"I know you said sorry, Jack, but you still have to take responsibility, and that means dealing with the punishment."_

_"Fine..."_

_The memory shifted and we were in the same room Jack was born in. "Oh, Jack! You're here!"_

_"Can I see her! Can I, can I, can I!?"_

_"YES!" Elizabeth laughed and moved the blanket to show a beautiful baby girl with long hair just a shade darker than Jack's._

_"Wow! She has big eyes! She's so pretty! I promise I'll always protect her! I'll be like the Guardians for her!" At that, Elizabeth looked directly at James with a small accepting smile and she mouthed the words, 'You win' and the smirk on his face was nearly an exact replica of Jack's._

_"That's a mighty big promise, Jack. Are you sure you can keep it?"_

_"I will! For her! She's special! What's her name!?"_

_"Sarah." Elizabeth sighed out._

_"Sarah..." Jack repeated with a bright smile before kissing her forehead. "...you'll be safe with me, Sarah. I promise!"_

_The memory changed to Jack in the middle of a forest and it was getting dark. Too dark. I instantly got a bad feeling about this memory. "Well, well, well..." Came Pitch's voice and it sent me nearly in instant attack mode if I hadn't known this was just a memory._

_"Hello?" Jack called out as he straightened up. He seemed to be about six or seven in this memory. When Pitch came out of the shadows Jack looked up at him with a dropped jaw and wide eyes. "Whoa...you're tall mister."_

_Pitch's once menacing face turned into one of intrigue and confusion in nearly a comical way. "What?" At that I covered my mouth, knowing no sound would come out, but I snorted out a laugh. Jack could hear and that was reason enough to cover my mouth._

_"Yeah, you're tall! So, you're all dressed in black...and your eyes glow like sunshine and moonbeams at the same time...so you must be the Boogeyman. Hi, my name's Jack Frost."_

_Pitch let out an honest chuckle as he shook his head, and he shrank to his normal height. "Well, aren't you amusing."_

_"Wow! You can get taller and shrink just like that!? Oh...but you're still tall! Will I get tall like you?"_

_"Child..." Pitch hummed out as he started to circle around Jack. "...what are you doing out here?"_

_"Oh, I'm out here collecting herbs for my dad. He says I'm finally old enough to collect them by myself. He's fishing right now, and my Mama is watching my little sister."_

_"Hmm...well...if you know who I am...why aren't you afraid?"_

_"Because I don't wanna, so I'm not. I still believe in you though. You give bad dreams, shadows, darkness, and you've done lots of mean and bad stuff...but I don't wanna be scared of you...so I'm not."_

_"My...you are a wonder." He blinked in surprise. "So...you're not scared of me at all?"_

_"Nope. Hey, do you wanna help me?"_

_"You're asking the Boogeyman...for help...in finding herbs?"_

_"Just a few. Unless you have something else to do, then I'll just look by myself. I have to be back soon."_

_Pitch looked around, then up, and my eyes widened as he sighed in defeat. "What are you looking for?"_

_"Lavender is all I have left to look for. Daddy says it's further into the forest so that's why I'm way out here."_

_"Fine, I'll help you. I know where they're at."_

_All of us blinked with dropped jaws at the memory and I looked at Jack next to me, and he seemed the most bewildered. However, I couldn't exactly blame him. This was a memory he didn't know and he had just fought Pitch months ago. Then, to our surprise young Jack smiled up at him. "Thank you." He said and grabbed Pitch's hand, and then a more miraculous thing happened. From where Jack held his hand, Pitch's skin went from ash gray to a pale peach color, and young Jack took notice at the same time as Pitch, and for a moment there was a flicker of color in Pitch's eyes. The gold had flickered in and out, and suddenly, Pitch grabbed Jack's hand with his other one and knelt to the ground as color returned to the rest of his form. "Boogeyman?" Jack asked in awe as the last of the color had returned to pitch and his hair fell neatly and clean in wavy combed back locks of hair that brushed just above his shoulders._

_"Wh-What?" He breathed out, and there was no malice or deception in his voice. This was the man I once knew as my General and brother. He was just wearing Pitch's clothes. "H-How..."_

_"Are you alright, Boogeyman?" Jack questioned as he stood next to him._

_"Child...you have no idea what you've done." He stated calmly as he looked at his hands and then at himself._

_"You look and sound a bit different. Did I do something wrong?"_

_"No, you did something incredibly right! You believed in me, weren't afraid of me, and reached out to me in kindness. You held my hand and I could feel your kindness, innocence, curiosity, and bravery. You see, child, I was trapped as the...the scary boogeyman for more years than I care to count...and in my mind...it was a scary thing to see. Imagine if someone turned you into a marionette."_

_"Oh...that sounds scary...and you couldn't do or say anything?"_

_"No, I couldn't, but then you reached out to me...you have a hidden power in you. You have a very OLD hidden power from my time, but I suspect you're merely born with it, and you don't hold the rest of what's required to complete it...which would be a blood parent from my time."_

_"Huh...well...do you think you'll go back to being the scary Boogeyman?"_

_"Perhaps. I think I unfortunately might, but as long as you're always willing to be brave and kind to me...I'll be able to become who I once was. This...is who I once was."_

_"Huh...then I can't call you Boogeyman anymore...can I? What's your name?"_

_"Kozmotis." He grinned with a grateful and awed expression._

_"Nice to meet you, Kozmotis! I'm Jack Frost...like I said."_

_"Very nice to meet you, Jack."_

_"Hey...Kozmotis...your name's kinda long...can I call you Kozzy?"_

_"I...I don't see why not. There's no way I can possibly repay you for what you've done for me, so sure."_

_"Good! Can we be friends?"_

_"Y-You...a child...would want to be friends with the Boogeyman?"_

_"Well...considering he's you too...yeah. So...can we?"_

_"I..." Kozmotis had a singular tear run down his cheek as he nodded. "Yes. We can be friends. I'll protect you from the darkness and from Nightmares."_

_"Oh! So...like the Guardians?"_

_"Oh...now that IS a bit laughable..." He snickered slightly. "How am I like a Guardian?"_

_"Well...you could be a Guardian of fear. Fear is okay if it's in the right place. That's what Mama says. Like...I'm afraid of the dark...but it's good because that means I won't wander at night and I won't trip, because I'll hold my candle with me when I walk around the house at night...even though I'm supposed to be asleep. I'm also afraid of drowning in the pond...so I don't go swimming with the rest of the kids. So there's that. So...you can protect my fears...my GOOD fears."_

_"You're quite strange. C'mon..." Kozmotis breathed out as he stood._

_"Hey, before we go...if you were trapped by the darkness...how were you able to speak to me and accept helping me? Wouldn't you have...I dunno...NOT done that?"_

_"I guess...the light that shines from your soul of belief is just that powerful."_

_"I'm...not glowing like a light."_

_"Magic, Jack. You have a special type of magic that pushes the darkness away from me. As long as you are true to yourself completely...that magic shouldn't die or be blocked."_

_"Blocked?"_

_"Yes, if you have amnesia for some reason, or you start forgetting who you are...then the magic would become blocked. It would still be there, but it wouldn't be complete and whole like it is now."_

_"Oh...I don't want that to happen."_

_"Neither do I. Believe me."_

The memory shifted, but Tooth quickly paused it and we all looked to Jack.  _"Jack?"_  I asked with my symbols.  _"After the battle...you had your memories back...you told me you did. Did you know...?"_

"Wait...he told you he looked into his memory box!?" Tooth squeaked out and for some reason I could see slight hints of anger, but not at looking at the memory box...at Jack in general.

 _"Yes, he did..."_  I nodded and turned back to Jack.  _"...answer me, please."_

"I...I felt like I knew him...and when...when he looked afraid after the children walked through him, he looked directly at me and his eyes widened as if...as if he were guilty and THAT'S what he was afraid of. He was afraid of me. At least...that's what it seemed like...but no, I didn't know. Like I said...I didn't see any younger than fourteen or thirteen."

 _"I'm sure we'll see more."_  I told him with a hand on his shoulder, earning confused glances from my friends, but I didn't care at the moment.

Jack looked up at me and gave me a sad smile as he nodded. He then looked at Tooth and said, "Can you continue it please?"

"The two of you have become friends?" North questioned with wide eyes.

"Something like that." Jack laughed out.

_Tooth didn't know what to say, so she resumed the memory and when it settled Jack seemed to be about eleven in this one, and to our surprise, he was sitting on a tree limb with Pitch. "Hey, Kozzy?"_

_"Yes, Jack?"_

_"Tell me a story about the Golden Age."_

_"Another one?" He chuckled out as he leaned his back against the trunk of the tree with his legs in front of him, lining up with the tree branch he and Jack were sitting on, and Jack was sitting up next to Pitch's feet looking to Pitch's right and up at the stars._

_"Yeah, I like your stories. Even the one where you turned into the Boogeyman. Can you tell me another one?"_

_"Tell me the one about your best friend! The Pooka!"_

I looked over at Bunny and his eyes were wide as he crouched slightly with a dropped jaw and ears folded against the back of his head. "H-He...remembers me?" He whispered, but Tooth didn't stop the memory, so we continued to watch it unfold.

_"Hmm...well...where to start...Oh, did I tell you about the time my daughter made a mess of his kitchen?"_

_"No! Oh, I gotta hear this! What did Emily do?"_

_Pitch's smile grew both amused and fond, and it was so strange seeing this, but it was also incredible. It was like Jack was speaking to an Uncle that told stories as often as possible. "Well..." He started with a slight chuckle. "...she had heard that I had been to a planet that was filled with talking rabbits that were incredibly intelligent sorcerers, she wanted so badly to see them. She was I believe...four at the time. I had been friends with Aster for far longer than she's been my daughter, but she didn't know much about the outside world so...I...look...it will probably just be easier to show you. I can let you look into my memory of it, if you'd like."_

_"Wait...but I thought only Tooth could affect memories."_

_"She's not the only one. So, do you wanna see?"_

_"YES!" Jack shouted as he practically jumped up and down on the branch, and now we were all incredibly intrigued at how this would look._

"Tooth is that possible?" North asked.

"We're about to find out. Bunny, are you okay?"

"I...I dunno. I thought he forgot about me, I thought...well, I didn't know he was basically trapped on the inside. I thought he was gone for good, and that he truly betrayed all my kind...but I can see that it's not the case...he's tellin' the truth about everythin'. It's...strange, but...this is the man that was my best friend..."

_"Come here, Jack." We heard Pitch say and our attention was brought back to Pitch, who turned his body to where his feet were dangling next to Jack's. "Place your head in my lap, and I'll take you to my memory."_

_Jack nodded his head and did as he was asked, then Pitch placed his left hand on Jack's forehead, which caused a bright golden and blue glow to appear until it enveloped all of our sight, and suddenly we were where I thought we would never be. My Jaw instantly dropped and tears fell from my eyes. "Where are we?" Jack asked as he stood next to Pitch in the memory._

_"We're in my home."_

_"Emily! Get back here!" I heard myself shout._

_"And that would be my twin brother." Pitch grinned as he turned to see the real me coming down the stairs._

_"Don't wanna! Uncle Sandy no fun!"_

_"SANDY!?" Tooth, North, and Bunny gaped as I ran down the stairs wearing a golden circlet with small diamonds in it and around it. I was wearing a loose golden shirt similar to Jack's colonial shirt he wore when I met him, black pants, and black boots. My body was taller, I was 6'2, and my face wasn't as round as it is now. I was actually muscular and built. My hair was also messy and wavy as it hung around my face, but that's how I always had it. I refused to comb it like Kozmotis. I just tucked it behind my ears, and obviously, my eyes were the same._

_"Th-That's me."_  I told them with my symbols as the looked at me, and Tooth paused the memory.

"HOW is that YOU!?" North shouted in disbelief.

_"When...when I came here with Emily...I hadn't fully known it was her at the time, but...when I came here...the earth's atmosphere and the magic that came from the shooting star combining with it...it altered my appearance, but this is me. That's really me."_

"W-Wait...y-you..." Bunny stuttered out and I turned to face him. "YOU were Prince Sanderson!? Why didn't Ombric tell us? Why didn't...?"

_"Because I asked him not to long before any of you met him. He was one of the first people I met and I told him my story. All I asked was that he keep SOME things true and leave out my family."_

"B-But...you...you were next in line after Kozmotis! The two of ya were TWINS!"

 _"Right...because I didn't already know that?"_  I asked him as I furrowed my brow in irritation as I crossed my arms.

"W-Well...I mean...but I..."

 _"Relax, Bunny..."_  I shook my head with a small smile.  _"That was in the past."_

"Yeah, but...you're..."

 _"Your friend."_  I stated plainly with strict symbols.  _"I'm supposed to be your friend, now please, drop it, and I hope none of you treat me any differently."_

"I...I promise, I won't, but this is a bit of a shocker, mate." Bunny told me as he looked at the memory.

 _"I know, but let's just get through it, okay?_ _Tooth, can you please continue it?"_  She nodded her head and resumed the memory, much to my relief.

_I groaned in exasperation as I summoned a dream cloud to lift her up off the ground and I made bars appear like a crib. "HEY! Put me DOWN!"_

_"No! Act like a baby that can't listen and get treated like a baby that can't listen! Where's your father?"_

_"He went to go see the rabbit people!" She pouted as I walked down the stairs to the golden crib I had her trapped in._

_"Rabbit..." I tilted my head to the side and then groaned as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "...the Pooka." At my words a portal was conjured, and I had placed her down, knowing that Kozmotis would be walking through, but just as he walked through, she ran past him._

_"Um...tell me that wasn't who I thought it was." Kozmotis requested with widened eyes as he watched the portal vanish._

_"Alright..." I told him as I stepped up to him and crossed my arms. "...I won't tell you that your daughter broke into the library, made a mess of the place, and THEN came into MY room muttering about rabbits and portals, and when I told her to clean up her mess, she ran past me. I trapped her in a crib made of dream sand, because as we ran out of my room, she kept whining that she didn't want to clean up...and when I saw the portal, I put her down, but then she ran past you to I suspect...the Pookan home world."_

_"Ah...she um..."_

_"Is a handful." I laughed out and snapped my fingers, creating another portal. "C'mon...we might as well go get her."_

_"THAT'S your TWIN brother!?" Jack exclaimed as he took in the more than obvious differences between us, causing Pitch to grin._

_"Yup. My mother's hair was golden and she had sunset colored eyes while my father's hair was black and his eyes were silver." They stepped through the portal and we were suddenly on Bunny's home world. I placed a gentle hand on bunny's shoulder, noticing that tears threatened to fall, and he gave me a grateful smile before turning to face the memory again._

"Gotta tell ya...don't know how I didn't put two and two together, mate. I mean...ya have the same damn name."

_"Yeah, but I don't look the same."_

"No kidding!" He laughed out as the memory continued.

_"Oi! What gives!" We heard Bunny shout, and in the memory, Kozmotis and I eyed each other with amused and guilty expressions as we watched Bunny come out of his burrow wearing his green and golden dress robes with black dress pants, and with Emily in tow._

"WHOA! You wore clothes Bunny!?"

"Shut it, frostbite."

_Bunny was holding Emily's hand, and he was walking her out of the burrow. "WOW! You're really a rabbit person!"_

_"Aster?" Kozmotis cleared his throat, catching Bunny's attention._

_"This...this is your kid ain't it?"_

_"Afraid so, old friend."_

_"Should've known with how she snuck into my kitchen. I distinctly remember a certain someone doin' the same thing when he would escape his golden palace...and who's this?" He asked as he picked Emily up and carried her over to Kozmotis._

_Kozmotis took her into his arms and I held an amused expression while holding my hand out. "Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner. I'm his twin brother. Pleasure to meet you. Although...most people call me Sandy."_

_"Oh, so this is the one ya were tellin' me about. How come I haven't met ya?" Bunny asked as he crossed his arms._

_"Probably because unlike my brother, I had never been to the Pookan home world. I know where it's at, and he's told me where your home is, so that gave me enough information to go on to summon a portal. He talks about his best friend that's a Pooka all the time. That must be you."_

_"Got it in one. So...ya wanna see the damage the little devil did to my kitchen?"_

_"Can't be any worse than my library AND my room." I shrugged and followed him into the burrow. Once we got to the kitchen I let out a whistle. "Alright, I was wrong." I laughed out, and the vision faded again, and we were back at the tree branch with Jack on Pitch's lap._

_"Jack?" He asked._

_Jack lifted himself up and couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow...your daughter was a handful!"_

_"I hear she still is."_

_"Wait...you mean...there's others who survived the war?"_

_"Yes, Aster, my daughter, and my brother. However, I don't think he would think of me as such anymore. I'm probably the only one who recognizes him just because he has our mother's eyes, and it hurt when we fought...anyway, I think that's enough story time today. Your Father is going to be looking for you soon."_

_"Right. Goodnight, Kozzy."_

_"Goodnight, Jack. Sweet Dreams."_

_The next memory shifted and judging from how pale Jack's face just got, I knew I wasn't going to like it. He looked about fourteen in this one, and if I had to admit, he looked the same he does now, which only worsened the gut feeling I had that I would not like this memory._ _Jack and Sarah were leaving the house when Elizabeth called out, "Be careful!"_

_"We will!" Jack chuckled out as Sarah pulled him. "Alright, Sarah..." He said as they stopped at the side of the pond that the Guardians knew to be Jack's pond. "...Let me get your skates on, and then you have to wait for me to test the ice, okay?" She nodded her head, clearly not really listening as she seemed more than ready to go and skate. Once her skates were on, Jack was about to put his skates on when he saw her rush out onto the ice. "NO!" He shouted as he grabbed his staff, but when he was just about to catch up with her there was a sickening crack that made me feel colder than the wind in the memory. I looked where Jack looked and saw the ice cracking, but it was doing the same under Jack, and due to the sudden crack the first time, he lost grip of his staff. "It's okay It's okay...Don't look down...just look at me." He put his hand over his racing heart._

_"Jack...I'm scared..." Her feet shifted slightly and the ice continued to crack making my heart ache even further, because it continued to do the same under Jack, but much slower._

_"I-I know...I know..." He looked down seeming to finally notice the cracking ice beneath his feet too, and I nearly couldn't breathe as the memory went on. "...But you're going to be alright. you're not gonna fall in. Uh...We're gonna have a little fun instead!"_

_"No we're not!" She cried out and slightly flailed._

_"Would I trick you?" He asked as he tried to inch forward._

_"Yes! You always play tricks!"_

_"Well..." He laughed out nervously. "Alright...well...Well not this time. I promise...I promise you're gonna be...you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me..." At his words, she seemed to calm, but as I looked at the others, I noticed their widened eyes, and I couldn't blame them."You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch. Like we play everyday. I-It's as easy as uh...one..." He winced as the ice cracked some more but he smiled at his sister, but then he felt himself lose his balance. "Whoa...Two..." He said as he gently gained his gracefulness once more. "THREE!" He shouted happily as he took a big side step to his staff. "Alright...now it's your turn. One..." He heard his sister gasp as she slid her foot forward. "That's it that's it...Two..." The ice began to crack more, and his eyes went wide just before whispering,"Three." Then, he yanked her with the crook of his staff as he took her place due to the momentum. When he saw how far away she was and that she was safe, he let out a relieved laugh but just as he started to get up, the ice cracked completely underneath him, causing my heart to stop._

_"JACK!" Sarah shouted, and I felt tears fall from my eyes, but I couldn't wipe them away. I couldn't even breathe._

_'N-NO!'_ I whispered out in my mind as I watched him struggle to get back to the surface, but his movements slowed drastically and his eyes began to close. Then, as he hit the bottom of the surprisingly deep pond, the last of his air left his lungs. Soon, we saw day turn into night and Manny's moon beam shined on him, turning his hair white and then his eyes blue like his Father's. The same Father that always believed in us, but I couldn't get past it. Once the memory started to shift I placed a hand on Tooth's shoulder so she would look at me, and even though she had tears of her own, I apparently looked worse. She immediately paused the memory, and I rushed to Jack, wrapping my arms around him.  _"Y-You died!?"_  I shouted with symbols as my tears fell on his shoulder while he returned my hug.

"That's why I didn't tell you, Sandy."

I pulled away and shook my head.  _"You should've told me! That's how you became a spirit, Jack! That's why you had amnesia! You died!"_

"Wait...so...none of you died before becoming a spirit?" He asked, and the question broke my heart a little more.

"I did, but I am thinking...perhaps Manny had some to do with your memory loss." North stated and my eyes widened as anger sparked. "Perhaps...he did not want you knowing that you had family...and they not be able to see you no matter what. It would be damaging to your heart and soul, and you would not be able to move on at all. Then...you would be no different than a ghost that haunts."

"I...I suppose that makes sense." Jack stated and I was amazed with how accepting he was of it, because I was livid, but I was determined to not show it yet. After all, they didn't know how Jack and I know each other. At least not yet. He then turned to me and gave a guilty smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

_"That's okay...well...no, it's not okay, actually...but it will be...eventually. You're here now...that's what matters."_

"Alright, mate, I think I speak for everyone when I say that this..." Bunny motioned a paw at both of us. "...is a little weird. How long have ya known each other?"

 _"Since he came out of the pond."_  I answered as I glanced at my friends' expressions. They were calculative, confused, concerned, and wary.  _"I'm sure you'll find out."_  I rolled my eyes and watched as Tooth continued the memories that were to come.


	2. Chapter 2

_We watched as Jack got walked through multiple times in the village before starting to walk back, but eventually he decided to fly instead, taking us into the air as well, but our feet remained where we were. Then, his eyes widened as he noticed me. "Look out!" He shouted and then bumped into me, sending both of us tumbling to the ground. We eventually landed on the ice, both bleeding a bit. "Oh..." He groaned out, but then saw me trying to sit up and he rushed towards me. "I am SO sorry! I don't have a hang of flying yet...the Man in the Moon JUST gave me my name and powers today." That caught my attention as I looked up at him and I held up a moon and a question mark, but to my surprise as I'm watching the memory, Jack couldn't hear me yet. "Uh, yeah, the moon...the Man in the Moon gave me my name and powers. Apparently I can do wintery stuff and fly, but...well...I have to work on that...OH! You're bleeding!" I then pointed at his forehead that was bleeding pretty bad too as well as his arms that got scratched from when we tumbled through a tree. "Oh...well...ouch...it hurts now that I know it's there."_

_I shook my head and held a hand up to the wound on his head to heal it with the healing magic I learned LONG ago, and before I could pull my hand away, as I was healing his open wound, I noticed there was one on my hand that I was using to heal him, and suddenly both Jack and I started glowing. 'Huh...theory confirmed...but...' My eyes widened as I watched my blood seep into him, changing his once moon pale skin a slightly lighter shade closer to my own skin._

"Uh...can we pause it?" Jack asked just before I was about to. Once it was paused, Jack and I looked at each other with wide eyes in disbelief. "What was that!? Your blood went into me like magic and...my skin color changed slightly."

_"I well..."_

"It's..." Bunny started for me and we all noticed how astonished he looked as he glanced back and forth between current me and Jack to memory me and Jack. "...that's very old magic. That magic was old in the Golden Age."

"What is it?"

"It...well...no one really used it, because it was pretty forbidden, but everyone knew that the Pitchiners had the power to do it..."

"WHAT. IS. IT!?" Jack groaned out each syllable and I winced slightly.

"W-Well..." Bunny breathed in deeply before looking at us. "...if someone with this type of magic wanted a kid of their own, they would cut their palm, and USUALLY cut the child's palm as well, and the one wanting to adopt the specific kid...their blood would enter the kid, altering their DNA. Baiscally...Sandy took away your Father's DNA and replaced it with his own. However, ya still have his eyes, but I'm guessin' that's more of Manny's doin' seein' as you came out of the pond with blue eyes. The um...magic is forbidden, because it basically rips a child from at least one birth parent, but..."

"Wait...so...Sandy...is my biological father now?"

"Yeah." Bunny nodded his head. "Once it starts, the process CAN'T stop until it's done. He replaced your Father's DNA with his own. So...yeah...Sandy's now your biological Dad."

"D-Did you know!?" Jack asked me as he looked at me, and I quickly shook my head.

_"I didn't notice it until just now! I didn't think it would do that, and I thought it was weird how I couldn't pull my hand away, but I hadn't learned it, so I didn't know I could do it! I...was always a bit naturally gifted when it came to magic others had to know, so I guess...I naturally could do it. I didn't do it on purpose!"_

"I-I believe you..." He sighed out as he nodded his head, and I was trying to calm my pounding heart at the fact that Jack was my son now.

_"Are you...are you mad?"_

"Why would I be mad?" He asked me, and all of us gaped at him in shock.

_"W-Well...because your father...your real father...well...the one that you had when you were human..."_

"Was a great man, and from the memories, I could tell he loved me...but I didn't know him. Even if I recover ALL of my memories...I didn't really know him like I know you. That...that's a life gone. Watching my life, it's great and I love the fact that I saved my sister, and THAT'S how I became a Guardian...but that's the only real connection I  _feel_  with seeing my memories. That and Kozzy, but more so my sister. Seeing my Father...it was like watching a movie I was a part of. So, no, I'm not mad."

 _"Y-You're truly not mad?"_  I asked as my heart started pounding a bit faster.  _"You...you're fine with this? With...with you ACTUALLY being my son...really?"_

"Of course." Jack beamed at me and my sand cloud disappeared immediately from shock and I landed on my butt, staring up at him in disbelief as tears that I couldn't stop started falling down my face.

 _"Y-You're ACTUALLY my son now. I...I have a biological son."_  I stuttered with symbols, but Jack could hear the pure shock and joy in my voice.

"And I have a Father." He grinned, and I couldn't help it, I jumped up and wrapped my arms around him, quickly noticing the overjoyed expressions coming from my friends, but I didn't care as he quickly wrapped his arms around me in return. Once the hug was over we both were wiping at our tears on the other's face, slightly laughing while doing so.

"So, I gotta ask...I get it...ya explained it..." Bunny started, catching our attention. "...but...why are you so okay with him being your Father?"

"You're just gonna have to look at the rest of my memories." He chuckled out before looking at Tooth who was making her 'Awe' face. "Can you continue my memories please?"

"Of course!" She squealed and resumed the memory.

_"Wh-What are you doing?" Jack stuttered out as he glanced at my hand, but the glow and blood flow started, and because my eyes were closed, concentrating on it, I hadn't noticed it then. Once his wound was healed, I preformed it on his arms that were scratched up pretty bad. His entire shirt was torn and at some point during the fall, he had lost his cape. "Whoa!" He breathed out as he watched his scratches get healed. "That's amazing. So...who are you?" I glanced up at him and then back to his scratches and shook my head. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I hadn't meant to fly into you like that. I just came out of the pond today and the Man in the Moon JUST gave me my powers and my name. Once his scratches were healed, I started healing my own scratches with an irritated look on my face. "Why don't you talk to me!?"_

_"Because I'm MUTE!" I shouted at him with my symbols as a large mouth with a large angry 'X' over it._

_"Wh-What do you mean you're mute. I can hear you just fine." He stated as he leaned away from the symbols a bit._

_My eyes widened considerably. "D-Did you say...y-you could HEAR me!?"_

_"Yeah, crystal clear. You sound agitated, upset, angry, and hurt...but now you just sound...I dunno...shocked."_

_'What about now...can you still hear me?'_

_'Did...did he just speak to me with his thoughts?'_

_At that I stared at him in complete wonder, awe, and astonishment. "I-I can hear your thoughts! Y-You can hear mine! You can HEAR me!"_

_"Yeah..." Jack chuckled out. "...I think we've established that. So...again...I'm sorry for flying into you. My name's Jack Frost."_

_"I'm sorry...I've been very rude." I told him as I shook my head. "I just...I'm not used to being knocked out of the sky, and I can't remember the last time I had to use healing magic...so yes, I was a bit irritated. My name is Sanderson Mansnoozie, but most just call me Sandy or Sandman."_

_"Good to meet you, Sandy." Jack breathed out, seeming to become more calm._

_"Let me ask you something, Jack Frost...you say the Man in the Moon gave you your name and powers?"_

_"That's right."_

_"Hmm...do you have a home?"_

_"Ah, well...I thought this was my home now."_

_I shook my head with a sympathetic smile. "No, it most certainly isn't, and I don't think I could, in good conscience, let the only person who can hear me...be alone without a home. Would you like to come live with me?"_

_"Wait...you have a home?"_

_"Of course I have a home!" I laughed out as I stood to my feet. "I have two homes. I have my dream cloud..." I told him as I summoned it beneath me briefly before making it disappear slowly, bringing me back to the ice. "...and I have a castle on an island...it's...well...it's my own little Domain. It's not accessible to humans, and not really to spirits either unless I give them my permission. I could give you my permission if you want, but we'll have to find a place to make your gate into the domain. You would call that gate 'Home'."_

_"I-I would love that! Thank you! I...I guess this is as good place as any. I was named here and this is where we met, so I'll consider the pond my gate or...'Home'."_

I looked over at the other Guardians and they were staring completely speechless and wide eyed, and I honestly couldn't blame them. I had never made the offer before and they had never been to it before. They've seen it in pictures, but they haven't ever been.

_"Alright, give me your staff."_

_"Wh-What!?"_

_"Don't worry, I won't hurt it. However, I can tell it's a part of you and your soul, so allow me to see it and I'll create the gate." He nodded his head and handed me the staff. I placed the crook of it against my head, and the staff glowed a brilliant golden color briefly. I then handed it to Jack and smiled at him. "Alright, now tap the ground three times with your staff and say, 'Home.' It should create a golden portal and it'll take you there."_

_He nodded and did as I asked of him, conjuring a golden portal just as I said. "Wow..."_

_"Alright, now I'll step through first and meet you on the other side, okay?"_

_"Yeah, alright." Jack watched me walk through the portal before he stepped through himself and I watched with immense amusement as he gaped at the castle and dropped his staff in the sand. "THIS IS YOUR HOME!?"_

"That looks nothin' like the pictures, mate! That looks like Pitchiner Castle!" Bunny stated and I just nodded my head.

_"And your home now too. Come on, there's more rooms than I can stand. You can have the one next to mine."_

_"You really live on an ISLAND! And are those...are those mermaids!?"_

_"A new spirit and you know so much." I chuckled lightly. "Yes, those are mermaids. They won't bother you any. Don't worry. If anything, they'll try and ask you to play."_

_"Huh..." Jack tilted his head and one of the mermaids with long blonde hair waved at him._

_"Coming?"_

_"R-Right!" He followed me into the castle and I continuously enjoyed watching Bunny's reaction. It really was an exact replica of the castle I used to live in. However, once the door to the castle door was closed, I changed into my original form. "Whoa! You look different!"_

_"I am different when I'm here, but because of my job, I'm not here as much."_

_"A-And you're not mute anymore! How!"_

_"It took a VERY long time to figure out how to fix it while I was creating my castle, but with Mother Nature's help, I was able to create the atmosphere and magical aura pressure I was used to once. However, I'm only MYSELF in my castle. The rest of the world...the atmosphere...it's different and it effected me when I came to earth."_

_"Wait...you're from the stars?"_

_"That's right."_

_"Huh...somehow..."_

_"What is it?" I asked him as I turned around just before making it to the stairs._

_"Well, you're taller for one and you can talk so that's all surprising...but...um...you look familiar."_

_"That would be impossible." I sighed out._

_"You're right. So, why did you practically scream at me that you were mute when you're not in this place?"_

_"Well, because for millions of years I had been alone here. Everything is enchanted, so I don't have to have anyone get food for me, it appears in the fridge or the pantry and it's constantly stocked, all of the rooms are enchanted as well to suit whoever may stay in it, but other than Mother Nature, you're the only other one that's been here. I haven't even let the Guardians in here. One in particular, because I'm not sure how he would react to this being my home, but the dressers, closets, and bathrooms are enchanted to have everything you need...but I've been alone. I hadn't planned on inviting anyone else, so that's why I was irritated. I had no right to be, because I hadn't explained myself...but...yeah."_

_"Huh...that all actually makes sense. I'm still sorry for flying into you."_

_"Let me show you to your room, and we'll call it even."_

_"Deal!" He laughed out and just as we were about to go up the steps the memory shifted, but Tooth paused it._

I looked over at her and I noticed she, North, and Bunny shared the same dumbfounded expression. "You...you let Jack into your home?" She asked.

"We've asked you to show us home, and you said no..." North mentioned with a slight hint of jealousy in his tone.

_"I mainly said no, because I didn't know how Bunny would react to it. Also, there was the fact that I really didn't want you summoning portals into my home, scaring the mermaids. There's a lot of other reasons and I'm sorry."_

"So...why let Jack in?" Tooth questioned.

"Because Jack was the first one that heard his voice in millions of years." Bunny answered with an awed smile. "Because, even though the two of them didn't know it...Jack became his son, and his place was in his Father's home. I understand it, and I'm kinda glad I found out this way. I don't know what I would've done or how I friendship would've been if I had known earlier. I would've probably thought the worst of ya...but...I don't. I understand it. It's kinda like how I don't want anyone in my Warren unless it's an emergency."

 _"Exactly!"_  I exclaimed, relieved that he understood, and it seemed through his words that North and Tooth understood as well.  _"And if you had been welcomed into my home and saw me like that...and heard me talk..."_

"I would've probably been pissed beyond belief at ya...but now that I know most of everythin' and what happened with Kozmotis...What REALLY HAPPENED...it's alright."

_"I'm glad. So, can we continue? I'm almost certain most of the memories are going to involve me and Jack, but still...it'll be nice for all of you to see. I'm okay with it now."_

_Tooth nodded her head and resumed the memory. Once it settled, we were in my castle and in my kitchen. "Good morning, Jack." I yawned as I stepped in, wearing my checkered pajamas, and I quickly noticed that Jack was only in his red pajama pants. As we watched the memory, I glanced over at Tooth and noticed the blush that crept on her face and I couldn't help the grin of amusement on my face. "Do you mind telling me why you're not wearing a shirt?" I asked as I opened the fridge to grab some strawberries, grapes, blackberries, and milk._

_"Oh...well...I may have...accidentally frozen it." He winced as he continued to make the oatmeal he was working on._

_"Did you put it in the laundry basket?"_

_"I...no..."_

_"Well, if you did, then what would've happened?" I asked as I started to make a fruit bowl with the apples and bananas on the counter to add with what I already had and a glass of milk._

_"It would've repaired itself." He groaned out._

_"So, why didn't you?"_

_"Because...I got frustrated." He sighed as he continued to stir the pot. "I just...learning control...it's difficult!"_

_"I know it is, but you have to. You'll get no where if you don't learn. Tell me Jack...how long has it been since the moon gave you your name?"_

_"It's been twenty years." He answered as he used a minimal amount of his powers to decrease the heat in the stove before pouring his oatmeal into a bowl._

_"Right, and so far you've learned how to make beautiful ice patterns, frost patterns, and even how to make small amounts of snowfall...but you don't have full control. Your powers are affected by your mood, your thoughts, and emotions. You have to take control of that or you can hurt someone."_

_"I know...but..."_

_"No buts. Trust me, I have stories that'll make your head spin on why it's always a good thing to practice control."_

_"Oh? Do you mind telling me?" He asked as he sat next to me at the table with his glass of orange juice._

_"No, since it might help you learn. When I was younger, I didn't always use dream magic. That was something I learned how to do when I was around a hundred years old. About fifty years before my brother would have a daughter."_

_"WOW! I knew you told me that you were ancient and how old you were, but when you say it like that..."_

_"Yeah...being born in the Golden Age certainly has it perks I guess." I chuckled as I started to eat my fruit._

_"So...ARE you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to guess?" He asked me as he took a bite of his food._

_I let out a heavy sigh and propped my right elbow up on the table, resting my head on my fist as I held up my left hand with my palm facing towards the ceiling. "Ready?" He nodded and I let out another sigh. "I'm gonna regret this." I chuckled lightly before snowflakes appeared in my hand and soon it was snowing in the entire room._

Suddenly, the memory paused and I immediately flinched, knowing the looks I would be met with. I turned and yup, a look of complete disbelief and shock.  _"Um...surprise?"_

"SURPRISE!?" They all shouted with wide eyes, but then North and Tooth looked at Bunny.

"You didn't know?" Tooth questioned.

"No! I met him in the memory you saw. I knew him as Sanderson Pitchiner, and from the stories Kozmotis would tell me. I thought he was a healer with an insanely high affinity for dream magic, and that's why he was accepted to the League of Star Captains."

They all looked back at me and I pinched the bridge of my nose.  _"Jack a little help here?"_

"Oh no. You're on your own on this one." He chuckled out and I couldn't help but look back at him with a smile.

 _"Traitor."_  I shook my head as I returned my gaze back to my friends.  _"Alright, I have winter magic. I trained Jack."_

"Wait...I thought...I thought Mother Nature trained Jack."

"No, but she did eventually find out. I had to let her into my Domain because of Jack. However, Jack HAD been a bit of a troublesome student."

"Hey, I wasn't-" I glared at him with a risen brow. "...bad. I was pretty bad."

 _"Yes, well...I'm sure we'll see it."_  I turned to face them and they were still baffled.  _"Alright, what is it?"_

"Why have you never used it!?" They all shouted at me.

_"Because I have very strong and very different winter magic than most, and I've taught it to Jack. Although...him having half of my DNA DOES make sense now...anyway, the only safe place I can use it would be in my Domain."_

"Are ya serious?"

_"Well, I haven't tried, but considering how different the atmosphere made me, I didn't want to test that on my elemental magic. My dream magic was GREAT as well as my healing magic, but winter...it's sensitive magic."_

"So...Jack learned from you?" Bunny asked and I nodded my head. "Was he a good student?" I could tell his question was genuine and filled with curiosity so I let out a silent sigh nodded my head.

 _"Yes, most of the time, but he got frustrated a lot. Come on, let's let the memories speak for themselves. Tooth...do you mind?"_ She nodded her head and allowed the rest of the memory to resume where it was at.

_"Y-You have WINTER magic!?"_

_"Yes, I have winter magic." I told him as I turned the snow off and made it disappear from the table and our food entirely._

_"Please train me!"_

_"WHAT!?" I asked as I gaped at him. "Why on earth would you want me to train you!? I'm the Sandman! Not the winterman!"_

_"But...you have winter magic and it was so controlled. If I'm to learn from anyone it should be from someone who also learned how to control it."_

_I turned to face him and I placed my hands in my lap, contemplating his words. He looked serious, determined, and unfortunately desperate. I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head. "You know...if I do train you...I'm NOT going to go easy on you. You WILL bleed to learn. You understand that, correct?"_

_"I...I'll bleed?"_

_"I'll teach you, but you will work for it, and when we spar, you will face me as an opponent, as a foe. You will have no room to think of me as a friend, because if your facing off against someone outside of the Domain, they won't hesitate. I will face you in the same way, and I fully eventually expect to bleed, but that's IF I train you, and the only way I would train you is if you have this understanding in mind."_

_"I-I understand! Completely! When do we start!?"_

_"After I finish breakfast and after I deliver dreams. Would you like to join me?"_

_"ALWAYS!"_

_"Good, hurry and finish your breakfast."_

_The memory shifted and it was Jack and I walking into a very large ballroom like room. "Holy cow...this is where you train?"_

_"Yes, and this is where I'll train you." I told him as I took off my shirt and tossed it to the ground._

_"Um...why are you taking off your shirt?"_

_"You're going to take yours off too. This is how I train, don't like it, don't train."_

_"Yikes! You're strict." He said as he started taking his shirt off. "Do the other Guardians know your this strict?"_

_"The other Guardians don't know this about me. They don't know I have winter magic, they don't know I look like this, and I plan to keep it that way, understand?"_

_"I promise." He told me with pure determination in his eyes as he tossed his shirt off to the side and held his staff tightly._

_"Remember, Jack, once training starts, we're not friends until it's over. Do you understand?"_

_"Perfectly." He growled out, and when I saw the fire in his eyes I grinned wickedly._

_"Let's get started then." I immediately shot electrical ice at him and he dodged it well and he started running around the room with his staff in hand as I continued to shoot more blasts at him. Then, one of them actually hit him just as he was about to fly into the air. Once he was on the floor I ran towards him, but not out of concern or care. I ran towards him with a challenging grin on my face and as I ran ice formed around me and behind me until eventually I just started sliding towards him as the ice continued to conjure underneath my feet. Then, just as I was about to approach him, I watched his staff move, and it shot out the same electrical ice I had shot at him. "Well then! Seems you've got a trick up your sleeve!" I told him as I grabbed the blast and spun it in my hands until it was a perfect orb as he got up._

_When he was finally standing he blinked at me in shock as I tossed the orb up and down. "So, why don't you use this while your out?"_

_"Because I don't want to see what happens. I was already affected personally by the atmosphere. I don't want to risk hurting children, and that's what we're here to train you with, now I do specifically remember saying that during training...we're not friends. So, less talking..." I through the ball at him, knocking him on his backside hard. "...more fighting. You're going to regret asking me to train you, but by the end of it...you'll also be thanking me."_

_He quickly got up and placed a hand to the back of his head and saw small spots of blood on his hand. "Heh...you were right...I'm bleeding." His face darkened and slammed his staff down on the floor, causing a violent spread of ice and spikes heading straight towards me. One of them pierced my arm and I chuckled._

_"Alright." I nodded my head and waved at the thin ice spire, melting it instantly and healing my arm at the same time. "Now we're getting somewhere!" I conjured snow in the room, and watched as Jack looked around confused for a moment. That is, until I turned it into a blizzard inside the room._

_"I-I can't see!"_

_"THEN LEARN!" I told him as I shot an energy blast at him that he barely dodged in time. I quickly approached him and conjured a sword made of ice and fought him one on one. He continued to block me with his staff. He then kicked me and sent an ice energy blast directly to my core, knocking me back a few feet. I then saw his eyes begin to glow brightly as he lifted his staff in the air and started waving it in a circle above his head, causing my eyes to widen. I watched in astonishment as he turned my blizzard into a cyclone that he was controlling and it although it was small, it was powerful, and I knew that look. That was dangerous. "Jack! Enough!"_

_"NO! You said we're not friends during training!" He growled out and with how his voice was echoing, my eyes only widened even further, because I knew exactly what was happening. Soon, the cyclone grew small shards of ice as sharp as glass and he turned it back into a blizzard that cut and sliced at me._

_"JACK! You HAVE to STOP!"_

_"NO!"_

_As I continuously got shredded by his blizzard I ran towards him and used a sand whip to bind his arms, forcing him to the ground on his knees. Once he fell to his knees, the blizzard didn't stop so I wrapped my arms around him. "Jack...it's alright...I'm here." I whispered in his ear as I bled over his body. "Jack...listen to me..."_

_"N-No! Y-You...you said..."_

_"I know what I said, and I still hold true to it...WHEN WE'RE TRAINING! When we're not training...I will ALWAYS be your friend! I'm here! Jack, you need to calm down! You're going to shatter your soul if you don't!"_

_I felt him begin to breath in and out slowly, and I sagged in relief. I slowly released him as the blizzard came to an end, and as the glow dissipated from his eyes they also widened in horror as he looked at me. "S-Sandy! I-I'm s-sorry!" Tears fell from his eyes and I released the sand whip._

_I wrapped my arms around him again, not caring about the blood at the moment. "You did well! I'm fine, I'll heal. I'm here."_

_"I h-hurt y-you!"_

_"I know...and that's good, but...you're not old enough for that type of winter magic yet. You haven't practiced or trained properly for it, and I don't know how you knew how to do it, but you did...and you nearly shattered your soul. You almost lost yourself, Jack. However..." I pulled away from the hug and wiped away his tears with the hand that wasn't dripping with blood and I smiled at him. "...that's something we can work on. Self control. So, what we need to work on for you is defense and self control. Even if you AREN'T attacking another, you need to learn those things with your magic. Especially with how powerful you are."_

_"D-Did...did you ever...?"_

_"Yes!" I breathed out as I looked him in the eyes. "I can't tell you how many times I nearly shattered my soul, but I found something to bring me back every time. A person, and thinking of them calmed me down every time. I still think of them every now and then to rein in my emotions, because my dream sand magic...even though I use it for children...it can still be VERY dangerous if not used with control, and that's what I'm going to teach you, alright?"_

_He nodded his head frantically. "I-I'm sorry."_

_"Don't be sorry! This is good! We know what to do and thankfully...it was me you used that against and not someone else." I backed away from the hug and started healing the cuts, scrapes, and gashes until only smears of blood were left. "There...see? I'm all-" I was instantly interrupted as Jack tackled me back to the floor in a tight hug. "-GOOD!" I breathed out with a short laugh. "What's this for?"_

_"I'll be a good student I promise! I'll remember that during training...AND ONLY during training...we're not friends...but..."_

_"We'll always be friends, alright?" I told him as I pushed him away slightly so I could look him in the eyes, which were still crying. "Jack, I promise, I'll always be your friend."_

_"E-Even...even if no one ever sees me?"_

_"I'll be your friend no matter what."_

_"B-But...the other spirits..."_

_"...don't know you like I do." I told him as I stood, and brought him to stand as well._

_"S-Sandy...how long did it take you to take control of your powers?"_

_"A long time, but don't worry, you have me, and I have a feeling that you'll be a lot like me. You just have to listen and ALWAYS remember that after we'll be friends, but during, we're enemies."_

_"I...I think I can learn to do that."_

_"Good. Now, do you wanna try again?"_

_Jack picked up his staff off the ground and nodded his head. "Yes!"_ _The dream shifted, but Tooth paused it, and they all stared at me with dropped jaws._

"So, I take it you're all surprised." Jack joked, but it  _really_  wasn't helping.

"S-Surprised! Damn! That doesn't even begin to cover it!" Bunny blinked in shock at me. "Sandy...he ripped ya to shreds! There was hardly an inch of skin without blood and you moved and talked like it was nothin'!"

_"I didn't care about my injuries. I cared about Jack. He almost lost himself. I couldn't let that happened, so whatever pain I suffered, it was worth it. However, before any of you ask, I couldn't heal myself when Pitch pierced me, because his arrow went straight through me."_

"R-Right...but...well..." Tooth stuttered.

"Scary, wasn't he?" Jack chuckled.

"Well, yeah." She nodded her head in concern. "He was actually frightening."

_"I told him...in training we're not friends."_

"Right, but Sandy..." North started. "...you seemed happy...while being scary. It...was strange to see on you."

_"I was happy, because Jack was progressing. Not because I was getting hurt, or because he was getting hurt. It was just because he was learning and progressing, but all of that stopped when I saw the familiar sight of someone's soul about to shatter."_

"Don't worry, guys, he's still Sandy." Jack stated with a proud grin, causing me to relax a little.

"Yeah, we know that, Jacky. It's just...surprisin'." Bunny rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Tooth and North, who nodded their heads.

"Yeah, well...we have more memories to go through...and unfortunately...I was alone a lot. Not as often as everyone thought I was, but sometimes Sandy and I needed a break from each other, or I just wanted to go spread winter during the day, and I don't know if you've noticed...he doesn't really work during the day...so you're going to see a lot of memories you won't like and that you'll find surprising."

"I don't doubt that, mate." Bunny scoffed. "We got three hundred years to get through, and I'm certain most of them are with Sandy, so we'll learn a bit more about ya both."


	3. Chapter 3

_When the memory resumed Jack and I were on my dream cloud and I was delivering dreams to Europe. "Hey, Sandy?" Jack started as he laid on my sand cloud on his back, one knee up, and hands behind his head while his staff was safely behind me._

_"What is it, Jack?" I asked him as I spread the tendrils to reach further and separately._

_"Do you think I'll ever get believed in?"_

_"I think someday you will."_

_"Hey, Sandy?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"How far away is someday?"_

_"That depends on you." I answered with a small smile. "Hey, Jack?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"How badly do you want to be believed in?"_

_"I just want to be seen by at least one child."_

_"Child? I thought it wouldn't matter if it was an adult." My eyes widened considerably as my back was still turned facing towards him._

_"No...for some reason...it does matter. It has to be children. Why?"_

_"It's strange." I told him as I glanced up at the moon, but quickly shook my head. "However, I'm sure there's a reason for it. Well, I can't tell you how far away someday is. I'm sorry."_

_"That's okay." He shrugged as he continued to look up at the stars. "Hey, Sandy?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"You don't talk a lot about your past. I mean...you've told me about your experience with your powers and training and all that, but you don't talk too much about your past."_

_"That's because it's a bit painful." I admitted as I made the sand tendrils slowly come back to me._

_"Well...can I ask a question and if you don't want to answer it, you don't have to, but I just...I want to know more about you. Is that okay?"_

_"I don't see why not. You've lived with me for ninety five years now."_

_"Okay..." He breathed out as I slowly flew us to our next stop. "Did you have any siblings?"_

_"Yes, in fact. I had a twin."_

_"Is he alive?"_

_I looked up to the stars and let out a shaky breath that now all of the Guardians could hear. "Sometimes...I hope he is, but I really don't know."_

_"Was he like you?"_

_"How do you mean?" I questioned as I turned around with a risen brow._

_"I mean...did he use dream magic and could he use seasonal magic?"_

_"No, we were quite different in that regard. However, he did have light magic, nature magic, and he could understand and speak every language automatically depending on who he was talking to."_

_"Huh...did he have any kids?"_

_"One little girl and she was a complete handful." I couldn't help the soft chuckles that left me._

_"Did you have children?" He asked me and my chuckles stopped as I turned to look at him with a calculating expression. "You um...don't have to answer that if you-"_

_"No." I quickly answered as I continued to fly. "I didn't. I never found someone to love like that, so there was no opportunity."_

_"Wait, so...you didn't have anyone to love?"_

_"No, I didn't. I just never found the right person."_

_"Did you um...did you want children?"_

_"Yes." I scoffed out a laugh. "I really did, but like I said, that never happened."_

_"W-Well...um...what if...what would you say if I...if I wanted you to be my Father? I uh...kinda can't help it, but...you're like a Father to me...so...is that okay?"_ _I stopped the dream cloud with widened eyes as I instantly became breathless at his words. I couldn't move, I couldn't even speak. I just stared wide eyed into the open air. "F-Forget I s-said anything!" I heard him say and I felt him grab for his staff, but I still couldn't react. Not even when he flew away._

_After about ten seconds of him being gone I collapsed on my dream cloud and fell to my knees. 'Jack...he...I...' My thoughts weren't coherent, and I started crying as I stared ahead with a shaking hand clutched to my heart. 'I...he...did he...did he really just...' However, before I could finish my thought, I heard his screams from far behind me and with panicked eyes I turned around and saw Jack fighting with a fire spirit some distance away._

_I swiftly flew closer, and I heard the argument begin as Jack clutched his sleeve that was obviously singed. "No one WANTS you, Jack Frost! Don't you understand!?"_

_"Th-That's a lie!" He screamed out through the obvious pain._

_"No, it's not! I saw you have to run away from Sandman's cloud. He probably didn't want you there anymore, and who would? You're a danger to children!"_

_"S-So are you!" He growled out, and I noticed that his flight was getting shaky._

_"I bring warmth and heat. You bring death, cold, destruction, illness, and frostbite!"_

_"You...burn, sear, scorch, overheat, and KILL things with your fire!"_

_"You little...! This'll teach you!" She held a big fire ball up in the air and my eyes widened further._

_'NO! Let me get there in time! Please!' As much as I pleaded as I got closer, I watched in horror as she threw the large fireball at him, burning him everywhere, turning his clothes into ash and his skin into an horrifying red. 'NO!' I sobbed out as I flew faster and harder towards Jack than I ever had before, and I noticed his eyes were closed. 'Please! I'll do anything! Just let him be okay! Especially after what he just asked me! Please let him be okay! I have to give him my answer! Please!' With tears in my eyes I created a dream cloud underneath him as fast as I could and I couldn't bare the sight of him. His shirt was completely burned as if it was never there, and his pants were singed shreds on his thin legs. I looked up at the fire spirit, and she was laughing. I brought Jack with me, but kept him close to me as I flew up to meet her. "Why did you do that?" I asked carefully even though pure fury and rage bubbled just beneath my chest at the moment._

_"Because!" She shouted once she read my symbols. "He's a_ _nuisance! Surely you've heard about him being a winter spirit right?"_

_"That gives you NO right!"_

_"No...it certainly doesn't." I heard Mother Nature's voice sound as she appeared next to me on my dream cloud in a whirlwind of snow and spring green leaves._

_"M-M-Mother!" The fire spirit stuttered with pure terror in her eyes.  
_

_"Fara...why have you attacked Jack Frost?"_

_"I...he's...well...he's a winter spirit and..."_

_"And?"_

_"And...he's not one of us!" She shouted. "He doesn't live in the Domain, and..."_

_"Rest assured, Fara, the ONLY reason he doesn't live in the Domain is because I didn't know of him until now. I watched the whole thing. You WILL go back to the Domain and you WILL make up a list of every spirit that has attacked or wished ill will on Jack Frost. I don't just mean my spirits, but I mean ALL spirits. Think of it as part of your punishment. Now go before I think of a more physical punishment."_

_"Y-Yes Mother!" Within the blink of an eye, the fire spirit was gone in a puff of smoke._

_"Sandy, why did you save him?"_

_"H-He's..."_

_"I've never seen you cry for another like this. Who is he to you?"_

_"I'll tell you if you promise to help me heal him." She nodded her head and I let out a grateful and silent sigh. "There will be other things to tell you, I'm sure, but please...I can't use healing magic on him while he's in this state."_

_"You...you have healing magic?" She questioned as she blinked at me several times._

_"All part of the OTHER explanation, I promise."_

_The memory blinked and Mother Nature came behind me through the portal holding a bag of the materials she would need, and she nearly dropped them. "Th-This is...!"_

_"C'mon..." I sighed out as I opened the door to the castle she was gawking at. Once she was in, I walked in after her, and immediately transformed, causing her eyes to go wide in disbelief._

_"Y-You're...i-is this some kind of tr-trick!?"_

_I shook my head with a guilty expression. "No, it's not a trick." When she heard my voice she carefully set the bag down before walking closer to me. "This is the only place where I'm back to normal, and no one else can know this. Jack knows a little of the past, but he doesn't know all of who you are or Pitch."_

_"You're...you're really here. Y-You didn't die. My Father..."_

_"No, he never killed me." I sighed in relief that she wasn't mad at me. "I'm really-" She immediately rushed forward and hugged me, causing me to grin and wrap my arms around her. "-here!" I laughed slightly, but remembered why we were there and I pushed her away. "As much as I would like to continue this family reunion...I need you to help me heal him." I motioned to Jack who was still laying unconscious on a dream cloud._

_"You still haven't said who he is to you."_

_"W-Well...that's um..." I started rubbing the back of my neck as I looked at him. "Well...before he ran into your fire spirit he asked me some questions about my old life and I answered them. One of them was um...it was if I ever wanted kids, and I told him I did...then he asked me what I would think of him wanting me to be his Father. I couldn't react. I was breathless in shock at his words, and in doing so, I...I made him run away thinking...well, I don't know what he was thinking at the moment...but...I-I know that if you can heal him...I know what my answer will be. Just please...heal him."_

_"Heal...my cousin?" She grinned as she walked towards Jack. "He's so small." She whispered as the grin fell into a frown of concern._

_"He's immortally fourteen. Has been for ninety-five years, but he has the mentality of a twenty-five year old. He just doesn't show it often. MOST of the time he acts like a fourteen year old."_

_"And...his name is Jack Frost?"_

_"Yes." I answered as I started walking us towards Jack's room after she grabbed her bag again. Once we made it to Jack's room her eyes widened again at the sight of it._

_"H-He lives here." She said as she looked around at the bed that had sapphire blue blankets and sheets. The walls were white that had a gradient going into a soft sky blue at the floor. He also had a work desk where he could write, create, or do anything he wished to really._

_"Yes, and he has since he was given powers and a name. Now...will you please help him?" I asked once more as I set him on his bed._

_She nodded her head and set her small bag on his nightstand. "He's going to have to have his pants off too. The burns probably crept under the fabric."_

_I nodded my head and took off his pants as the tears fell from my eyes as I looked at him. It was much worse than I thought. 'If I had just SAID SOMETHING!'_

_"Alright, that's good." She told me, and I tossed his pants into the dirty clothes basket, because he no longer had a shirt to toss._

_"Is...is he still breathing?" I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted the answer, and as I could see the memory play out, fear of that answer was completely visible on my face._

_"He is, but only just. He's certainly strong. The burns are more severe where his lungs are at."_

_I staggered back in relief at her words, but I also felt a pain in my chest, because I was the reason he got hurt, and I had no idea how I was going to make up for it. I watched as she placed a lime green paste on every burn until she was done. Then, she started hovering her hands over every individual burn with glowing hands, healing them completely. "So...you're able to heal his burns completely?" I asked as she went from his legs to his stomach._

_"The burns on his lungs I won't be able to heal completely. He'll have to let rest and time take over that one as well as some medicine and bandages. He'll be sore and won't be able to move much. He also shouldn't use his powers unless absolutely necessary."_

_"This is all my fault. If I had just said something!" I walked over to the chair on the other side of the bed that I typically sat in when Jack had trouble sleeping or going to sleep. He would dream, but he was always able to resist the dream sand somehow, and considering I made him ACTUALLY my son through a magical DNA replacement, that explains a lot._

_"I'm sure he won't see it that way when you explain it to him." She moved to his lungs and as I watched her heal it, I noticed that there was a perfect snowflake scar. "Well...that's interesting..."_

_"What...just happened?" I asked as my eyes widened at the scar that quickly morphed from a red scar to a black tattoo._

_"His magic is trying to heal underneath mine. He doesn't JUST have winter magic it seems. He seems to have a form of light magic and it's reacting to my healing magic from the inside."_

_"Light magic...but that..." I furrowed my brow as I slightly shook my head in confusion._

_"I know. It's Golden Age magic, but it's possible if he was born with a pure soul." She moved up to his arms and they healed normally. "There, that should be all of them. He should wake up any second now."_

_"Ngh..." Jack groaned and tried to move, but quickly regretted it. "Ow..." He opened his eyes and looked at Mother Nature, which caused his eyes to go wider. "O-Okay...wh-why is...there...a..beautiful woman...in my room."_

_"Normally, I would find that flattering." She chuckled warmly. "I'm in here because one of my spirits injured you greatly and they will be punished. Sandy has asked me to help heal you and I have. However, your lungs as well as the injury that is now underneath your new tattoo has to still heal. You'll be down for a while. Now, I will take my leave. Sandy...could you please?"_

_I nodded my head and summoned a portal. She walked through and she was gone, leaving me alone with Jack. "J-Jack?" I stuttered out as I looked at him, waiting for him to look back at me._

_He turned his head to face me and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry...Sandy. I shouldn't...have...said what I...said. I..."_

_"No! Please listen!" I scooted my chair closer to his bed and watched as his eyes widened in curiosity and surprise. "I...I hadn't expected for you to say that, and when you did...I was so overwhelmingly happy I almost couldn't believe that you actually said that, and I...I am SO sorry that I didn't answer you. It's...It's my fault that you..."_

_"It's not...your fault I...ran into her. She's...never...really liked...me. Wait...you...were happy?"_

_"YES!" I cried out as tears slid down my face. "I'm so sorry. I-I don't have a way to make it up to you...because it really was my fault. If I had said something...you wouldn't have flown away. I heard you scream and my heart plummeted when I saw what she was about to do, and when she actually hit you with it, I...I begged and pleaded for you to just be okay. Mother Nature can't read my mind like you can...well...you're the ONLY one that can, but...she was there and I was grateful, but...I needed her help and to do that...I had to bring her here...and well...first...can I give you my answer to your question that you asked me on the dream cloud?" He nodded his head with a bright smile and tears of his own falling. "I would love to call you son."_

_"And...I...would love...to...call you...Father. However...I don't think...we can do...that...outside of the Domain. It...would start...WAY too many...questions. Especially from...the other...Guardians."_

_"Y-You're right." I nodded my head. "Okay...so...something you should know about that woman you saw. That's my niece."_

_"SHE'S your NIECE!?" At his outburst he started coughing harshly and digging further into his pillows._

_"Yes. That was my niece, and the only way I was going to be able to heal you is with her help. This castle...it's modeled after the one my brother and I used to live in..."_

_"Wait a minute..." Jack blinked at me in shock several times before quickly sitting up to gape at me. "You...YOU WERE A PRINCE!?" His eyes widened further for a fraction of a second before he started another coughing fit._

_"Easy, Jack...your lungs have to heal." Once he was calm and laying back down I nodded my head. "Yes, I was a prince."_

_"Holy cow...my Father was a prince!"_

_Both the memory version of me and me watching the memory clutched a hand to my chest once again at hearing it, and after seeing the memory of when we met, that moment meant so much more to me now. "That...is going to take some getting used to."_

_"Same, but I...don't mind. I'm happy. However...I feel a bit embarrassed calling...my cousin...beautiful."_

_"Well, it's true. She is. Nothing wrong with that."_

_"Yeah...I guess." He gave me a soft smile and then a yawn._

_"I'm...so tired...can you...stay here until I fall asleep?"_

_"Of course."_

The memory began to shift, but before it could, Tooth stopped it, and I found out that Jack was the one to ask her to stop it. "Y-You...that all happened while I was unconscious?"

Jack looked at me with wide eyes and a slightly guilty expression, and I nodded my head. "Yes. That all really happened."

"I'm sorry I made you worry so much."

"That's okay." I shrugged with a happy smile. "It's a Father's job to worry sometimes." At my words I watched with pure joy as his eyes lit up along with his smile. "How about we look through your other memories, okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded and Tooth resumed the memory.


	4. Chapter 4

_Once the new memory settled Jack was flying by himself and he seemed to be humming a song of some sort, but then he was knocked out of the sky by a fast flying spirit. "WHOA!" He shouted once he was able to stable himself, but quickly looked down and noticed the female spirit that ran into him and she was still falling, so he dove down to catch her before she hit the ground, and remarkably enough he caught her bridal style. "You alright, ma'am?" He asked her as he set her down on the ground._

_"Yes, I'm fine." She sighed out as she brushed down her long white dress, but when she looked up to see him dressed in a white dress shirt, ice blue vest, and black pants, she blushed furiously against her snow pale skin. "I'm a...yeah, I'm fine. Who are you?" She questioned with a curious Irish accent._

_"Ah, where are my manners!" He smirked before giving a gentlemanly bow as he kept eye contact with her. "My name is Jack Frost. May I ask your name?"_

_"Oh my...such a gentleman!" She smiled brightly and nodded her head. "My name is Grace Snow. I'm known as the Snow Queen."_

_"Oh, well, my apologies your highness!" Jack stood up and leaned against his staff. "I hadn't meant to be in your way."_

_"No, it was entirely my fault. I was lost in thought as I was flying and I flew into you. I'm very grateful you caught me." She tucked a lock of snow white hair behind her ear as she continued to blush._

_"I'm grateful too." Jack grinned._

"Well, would ya look at that. Jacky's a charmer!" Bunny scoffed in surprise as he looked at Jack in the memory with a proud expression as he crossed his arms.

"Jack?" I heard Tooth speak up as she paused the memory. "I've heard rumors that the Snow Queen got married to a fellow winter spirit..."

"Guilty." Jack sighed out. "I'm sorry, Tooth."

"No, it's alright. I'm not the only one with a crush on you."

"And no tact!" He laughed out with mirthful eyes, relieving some of MY anxiety, because I knew how much of a crush Tooth had on Jack and I knew where this led.

"I hadn't needed it since I was born, I don't see the reason for any now." She chuckled and I watched as Jack let out a relieved chuckle. "It's nice to see how you met your wife though. Let's continue the memory." She resumed the memory and we all watched intently.

_"Y-You are?" Grace questioned with a shy smile._

_Jack stepped closer while nodding his head. "Yes, I really am."_

_"I-I do believe I may have hit you too hard, Jack Frost. You seem to be smitten with me at first sight."_

_"And if I am?" He challenged with a smirk._

_"W-Well...then I do wonder where Cupid is."_

_"Here, darling!" Came a confident and proud voice from a nearby tree. They turned to look at her and she was sitting with her legs dangling as she wore her hunter equipment and had her bow in her hand. "However, as much as I would love to have claimed that target..." She jumped down and flew next to them. "...I did not. I was about to, but Jack here seems to have taken care of it for me."_

_"Wh-Why would you shoot Jack Frost?" Grace asked with widened eyes._

_"Oh, no honey. I was going to shoot you." Cupid took a bow out from behind her and showed it to Grace. "Read that right there for me, sweetie."_

_"It says...'Grace Snow X Jack Frost'."_

_"Very good! Now, the first name is who I shoot, the second name is who the person that's shot...falls in love with. Your's was to be a special shot, darling."_

_"Wh-Why is that?"_

_"Read the arrow head."_

_Grace nodded her head while Jack stood patiently with wide eyes, leaning against his staff. "It says...'S-Soulmate/True Love!?'"_

_"Yes, and the other side."_

_"Love at First sight!" She breathed out before blinking at Jack._

_"Now, keep in mind..." Cupid started as she twirled the arrow in her hands. "...spirits react differently to my arrows than humans. Humans slowly begin to realize their feelings for each other or they admit it where they stand. For spirits...I read the hearts and souls in passing and see what the name is on them. Then, I look for an opportunity to shoot they shyest one and I take it. The feelings are already there, darling. I just make the process move faster, because let's face it...Eternity is a LONG time, and I don't have time to watch eternal pining. Now, since it seems I don't have to shoot you, I'll be on my way." She then sauntered over to Jack who smirked at her. "Unless..."_

_"We've been over this Cupid. I'm not sleeping with you."_

_"Too bad, you don't know what your missing."_

_"No, I don't, and I don't want to know."_

_"Very well. Goodbye, Jack."_

_"Goodbye, Cupid."_

_Once she left it was just Grace and Jack. "S-So...Cupid asked you to..."_

_Jack chuckled lightly. "More times than I care to count. However, I have a feeling she'll leave me alone now. She's never said Goodbye before...only farewell. So, with that wonderful revelation presented in front of me...I know what Cupid says about love is actual genuine fact due to a person's heart and soul, but I won't do anything unless you want to. For now...how about we just get to know each other, okay?"_

_"I-I would like that."_

_"Good." Jack smiled at her as he leaned against his staff again._

_The memory shifted again and it was Jack flying up to my dream cloud the same night. He laid down on it and let out a delighted sigh, causing me to grin. "Alright, I'll bite, what has you in such a good mood?"_

_"I met someone, Sandy. Cupid also came in and she said that it was love at first sight and that we were soulmates. She was going to shoot HER with the arrow, but apparently with how I spoke to her and addressed her, she didn't need to."_

_"Oh? That sounds pretty remarkable." Jack heard the sadness in my tone and got up to sit next to me at the edge of my dream cloud._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"It's nothing, Jack. Don't-"_

_"Don't tell me not to worry about it when you know what you mean to me."_

_I nodded my head as I stopped my dream cloud to deliver dreams. "Fine...it's just...if she's your soulmate and your true love, you'll eventually and very likely marry her, and when that happens...you'll leave, and I know it's ridiculous to think after only a hundred years of you living with me, but...it hurts to think about."_

_"Who says I'll leave?" He asked me and I looked at him with wide eyes while still sending out dreams._

_"But...if you marry her..."_

_"If I marry her...well...if it should come to that, she'll have to accept that I've found a home that I don't plan on losing. She'll have to accept that even though she's not allowed in it, that it's my home and it's what means the most to me in this world. Even if I never have a single believer, I know that I can ALWAYS go to my two homes."_

_"TWO!?" I asked, trying to hold back the joyful tears that threatened to fall from my eyes._

_"Yeah, the Sand Cloud is my second home. Now, the idea of marrying her...it sounds incredible and wonderful, but she'll have to accept that before I even consider actually doing it. It's been my home since I was given my name and powers and I don't plan on leaving. That is...unless...you want me to."_

_"NO! I...I..." I allowed the dream sand to come back to me before continuing, but I couldn't speak, so I wrapped my arms around him. 'I'm happier than I can say.' I thought to him and he tightened the hug._

_'That means a lot.' He thought back to me before ending the hug. "So, are you gonna ask who it is?"_

_"Well, now that I don't have to worry about you leaving, sure. Who is it?"_

_"Grace Snow. The Snow Queen."_

_I chuckled lightly as I shook my head. "Won't that be interesting to tell Mother Nature."_

_"Why?"_

_"Well, she visited me just last month to ask me if I'd let you be her General of Winter since she had to relieve Old Man Winter of the position when she overheard him plotting to start a second ice age. I told her I would talk to you about, but the interesting thing is, everyone already thinks that the Snow Queen is the General of Winter. She has her own Domain and a title, but she created her own Domain in a fit of rage against the General of Summer...who then got released from his duties and the new General of Summer had been 'crowned.' She's doing well I hear."_

_"Wait...Mother Nature wants me as her General? But...that...that would make me..."_

_"King of winter. Yes." I shook my head with a wide smile. "However, I also think her motives may be selfish ones as well." I glanced at him and thought, 'You're her family. She's going to want to hold onto you and keep you safe.'_

_'But...wouldn't that mean I would have to live in her Domain?'_

_'Not if you don't want to. She knows I see you like a son to me, so I doubt she would force you, but at least this way, she could keep most of her spirits off of you.'_

_"Hmm...I'll talk with her about it. If I have to leave home...the answer is no."_

_"Not even to be a king?"_

_"Not even to be a Guardian." Jack chuckled, earning gasps from the other Guardians themselves, because Jack basically implied that he thought the Guardians in higher regard than being a King._

_"You think so highly of the Guardians?"_

_"Well, I haven't met the others, but if they're like you...they're better than any king. I mean...you all look after the children of the entire world. Kings look after one section of something, and well...I don't want to JUST do that. I want to do my own thing. If I'm not able to be myself..." He shook his head as he let out a frustrated sigh._

_"So, you feel like you're meant to do something other than spread winter?"_

_At that he leaned back, placing his staff behind me before he put his arms behind his head. "I dunno...maybe. It feels like I'm supposed to do something, but...everything I try...no one EVER sees me."_

_"Someday, Jack."_

_"I know, I know." He smiled as he closed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one that believes in me. It should be enough, I know that, and I really would rather never be believed in than to lose my home, but..."_

_"I know. You want at least ONE child to believe."_

_"Yeah, but even then...how will I know if I'm believed in?"_

_"It will feel like a comforting warmth inside you. It will feel like a light shining in your soul. That's how you'll know." The memory shifted and I let out a heavy sigh, recognizing it._

_Once the memory settled, it showed Jack in my Domain in the training room and he was using his staff to smash some of the dummies to smithereens after freezing them solid. "AHHHH!" He shouted as he attacked two helpless dummies. When he was about to freeze another dummy, I came in wearing a yellow dress shirt, black vest with golden swirls that mimicked my dream sand, black pants, and black shoes. I used a sand whip and yanked Jack's staff out of his hand, causing him to swiftly turn to face me once the staff was in my hand._

_"And what do you think you're doing?"_

_"Give me that back, Father!"_

_"I think not." I scoffed out a laugh. "Tell me, what do you think you're doing?"_

_"I think I was in the middle of training when you STOLE my staff."_

_"Really, because that's not what it seemed like from where I stood. From here it looked like a child throwing a tantrum."_

_"I was NOT throwing a TANTRUM!"_

_"Oh, but you were. Jack, turn around and look at what your tantrum did to the room." Jack rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before he did as I asked and turned back around to face the dummies. When he did, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He saw that he had nearly frozen every dummy, the floor, and the walls while shards of 'used-to-be' dummies were spread all over the floor. "Do you see what your anger did?"_

_"I..." For a flicker of a moment there was remorse in his eyes, but anger quickly snuffed it out like a candle. "It doesn't matter!" At that I used my sand whip and hit him on his back, causing him to cry out in pain._

_"Like HELL it doesn't matter!" I shouted, causing the other Guardians to gasp, but no one moved or even spoke as Jack in the memory turned to face me with a shocked expression. "What you did to this room you could've easily done to the outside world where CHILDREN are! What you did to this room, you could've done to a child in a fit of anger! What you did to this room, you could've done to another spirit! You swing your staff around like an angry two year old not getting his way, but except for a few irritating cries and loud noises...YOU are a WINTER spirit and you can HURT others with your tantrum! Your staff IS NOT a toy, Jack!"_

_"Fine, I get it! Give it back now!"_

_"No." I sighed out as calmly as I could after raising my voice and I shook my head. "It's not fine and I won't give it back. Why are you so angry in the first place?"_

_"It doesn't matter."_

_"That's getting really annoying, Jack." I stated flatly as I made my sand whip disappear and placed my hand into my pocket while still holding onto the staff with the other hand._

_"That's all I am to anyone anyway!" He shouted and threw his hands up in the air. "I'm annoying, selfish, horrible, irresponsible, arrogant, and..."_

_"And...who said those things about you?"_

_"It doesn't matter." He repeated to which I walked over to him. "What?" He spat as I glared at him just before passing him to where all of the ice was. I let out a heavy sigh as I shook my head. Then, I lifted my hand and not only melted, but evaporated the ice right before his eyes, causing his jaw to drop. "H-How!? Why did you never tell me you could do that!?"_

_"How do you think I get this place clean after training you and after our sparring matches? I don't let it just melt into puddles on the floor. I get rid of it. Now, if you want your staff back, you're going to have to be honest with me, and if I hear one more 'it doesn't matter' come out of your mouth, I'm going to give it to the mermaids for safe keeping until you tell me."_

_"That's...THAT'S NOT FAIR! You KNOW I'm scared to go in the water!"_

_"That's how I know it'll be safe from you. Jack, I can get rid of your ice in the Domain, but I can't out there. What you did...it could've seriously hurt someone, and if you accidentally hurt a child, I know you wouldn't forgive yourself. So, please...tell me who told you those things."_

_"It was..." Jack looked me in the eyes and then looked away with a sigh of defeat. "It was Bunny." At his words, I glanced at Bunny watching the memory and noticed how low his ears had gotten, but I also noticed the glares he was getting from North and Tooth, which left me wondering how they would react to the Blizzard of '68 if it showed up._

_"Bunny said those things to you?" I asked him carefully with widened eyes. "What happened?"_

_"W-Well...I noticed that some of the eggs he was trying to hide were a little out of reach for children, and it was further back than the parents were going to allow their children to go, so I...I had Wind help me push them forward, but then I got walked through and...and it started snowing. He looked for me and apparently knew who I was just based on how I looked, and he yelled at me saying how I don't care about anyone, how I was just a little annoying winter spirit that wouldn't last long as a spirit because apparently I can't control my powers, and well...he went into an entire rant before leaving."_

_"Jack..." I blinked at him in disbelief, but I knew he was telling the truth by the look of pure hurt and self resentment on his face. "...look...he doesn't know you like I know you..."_

_"NO ONE does." He groaned out._

_"Your wife does. She knows you a little better than I do I suspect." I grinned at him, and noticed a half smile twitch at his lips. "Bunny..." I sighed out. "...he's been hurt in the past...badly. There's a lot of hurt there that I can't even begin to express with mere words, and Easter is his Holiday. Easter and the kids...it's all he's got. Do you remember how you just reacted to me taking your staff from you?"_

_"Y-Yeah, but I wasn't trying to take Easter from him!"_

_"Not my point. My point is...your staff is a part of you. You ALWAYS have to have it with you, and when someone takes it...you're angry, frustrated, hurt, and you become irritable. For Bunny...Easter is HIS holiday. He gets ONE day, you get a whole SEASON. However, just like he has ONE holiday, you have ONE staff."_

_"A-Are you defending him?"_

_"He's my friend, Jack." I shrugged. "Of course I'm going to defend him."_

_"B-But I'm..."_

_I nodded my head and handed him his staff. Once he took it I wrapped my arms around him and smiled. "You're my son, and I love you, but you have to learn to think of others' feelings and how some situations may be misinterpreted." I released the hug and Jack let out another defeated sigh. "You know you're known as a mischievous spirit, right?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"And with Bunny's knowledge of that, and seeing you mess with his eggs...and then it suddenly snowing despite you not wanting it too...can you understand why he thought what he thought?"_

_"Y-Yeah, but what he said..."_

_"Is inexcusable, but I can't do anything. This is something between you and Bunny. I can't just swoop down and say, 'Hey, Bunny, leave my kid alone.' It's something you and him have to resolve."_

_"We're never gonna get along. He hates me." Jack rolled his eyes and looked at his staff._

_"No, he doesn't know you. Ignorance can do horrible things to someone. However..." I placed my hand at the bottom of his chin to make him looked back up at me. "...so can anger. Now, if you want to let out your frustration and your anger..." I dropped my hand and crossed my arms. "...I can help you and we can spar, but you need to learn more self control and that includes your emotions."_

_"I'd appreciate that."_

The memory began to shift, but Tooth paused it again, and I swear I was starting to notice a pattern. I turned to face them, and Bunny's ears were still flat against his head, but Tooth and North were staring at me with wide eyes.  _"What?"_  I asked them with a slight tilt of my head.

"You...raised your voice to Jack." Tooth breathed out.

"It wasn't the only time, and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last." Jack chuckled low and I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement while pointing at him.

"You also acted like a real Father. You scolded him, but you were also kind to him, and you tried to make him understand."

_"Well, it helps that we've learned I actually AM his Father, but I guess...it was just a natural way to treat Jack. It really felt like he was my son and now I know why."_

"How old was Jack here?" Tooth questioned carefully.

"Ah, well...this was 1850 so as a spirit he was going to be a hundred and thirty-eight years old that year, but a hundred and fifty-two all together. Bunny, why are your ears flat?"

"I...well...I was pretty horrible to Jack back then, and...I never really stopped bein' horrible until AFTER the battle with Pitch. You were right, mate. I didn't know Jack, and I really should've...but..."

"It's fine, Bunny." I heard Jack say and I looked up at him with a proud smile. "I didn't really know you all that well either." That seemed to ease Bunny's tension a bit as he nodded his head and his ears lifted slightly. Apparently sensing that the questions were resolved and answered, Tooth continued the memory.

_The memory settled on Jack walking alongside the Snow Queen with his staff propped up on his shoulder. "So, what did you want to talk about, Grace?"_

_"I just wanted to spend some time with my husband. Is that a crime?"_

_"It is when you ask me to not tell Sandy where I'm going." Jack stated flatly as they continued to walk in the woods._

_"Well, it's because it was Sandy that I wanted to talk to you about."_

_"Oh, now I'm intrigued." He hummed with a small smile as he stopped to sit on a large boulder near a beautiful lake that had the moon shining down on it. "You've never really asked about him before. I've told you a bit about him, but you've never really pushed any further. So, what is it?"_

_"Well...you said that he means a lot to you and that you live with him...and some of the other spirits have been talking."_

_"Grace, I'm not liking where this is going." Jack's tone was getting frustrated, but he kept it reined in rather well, and I couldn't help but feel proud, but I wondered just what spirits had said about us._

_"I know, but well...some of Mother Nature's spirits have been telling me that you're...um..."_

_"Wait...are you trying to tell me that other spirits have tried to tell you that I'm...cheating on you...with SANDY!?" Jack fell off the boulder he was sitting on he was laughing so hard, and I was on the ground rolling at the mere idea. I could hear the snickers coming from the others, and I tried to quickly compose myself so I could view the memory when I heard Jack's laughter die down._

_"W-Well yes."_

_"No, trust me. NOTHING romantic going on there. You're the only one for me, Grace."_

_"W-Well...why do you live with him and not with me?"_

_"Ah, well...that's because that's been my home since I was given my name and powers. I'm attached to it, and I'm sorry...but I don't plan on ever leaving it."_

_"If that's so...if there's really nothing romantic going on...then just who is Sandy to you?"_

_"He's like a Father to me." Jack answered with a small chuckle, and Grace's face instantly went red. "Now do you see why I found it so funny? Trust me, I have no interest in men or any other women."_

_"B-But...the two of you spend so much time together..."_

_"Yeah, because he was there for me the day I was given my name and has been ever since. He's helped me through a lot more than you know, and it's not that I don't trust you, it's just...there's things he doesn't know about you and things you don't know about him."_

_"So...he's like a Father to you?"_

_"And I'm like a son to him. I'm sorry, I thought I've told you this."_

_"Y-You have...once...but I...the rumors...and Mother Nature's been trying to put a stop to it."_

_"Well that's good to know." Jack sighed as he sat back on the boulder._

_"So um...you um...not with Mother Nature either?"_

_"She's beautiful, but no. I can't see her like that. Where have you been hearing all of these rumors? It makes me sound like I'm letting anyone take me." He gave her a smirk with a furrowed brow._

_"Mostly from the fire and water spirits."_

_"Ah, well...they don't really like us being married anyway, because we're two powerful seasonal spirits, and they think if we have a child..."_

_"...that they'll be incredibly powerful. I know."_

_"And you know that they spread rumors about almost every spirit, right?"_

_"Yes, but a lot of them ARE true as well and have been proven as such. I just...I didn't know..."_

_"Have I given you any reason to doubt me?"_

_"No, not really, but the words hurt, and I did notice how much time you spend with Sandy."_

_"If I'm not with you, I'm with him, and when I'm not with either of you, I mostly just fly around doing my job while trying to avoid the other spirits that hate me."_

_"Not everyone hates you." She rolled her eyes as she took Jack's hands in her own, bringing him off of the boulder to where he was standing in front of her._

_"No. I know that. You love me, Mother Nature is overprotective, Sandy is a great Father, and not to mention Death has tried to flirt with me on a number of occasions."_

_"Yes, well..." Grace giggled lightly. "...she's stopped since she found out you were a married man."_

"DEATH IS A SHE!?" Bunny shouted.

"Yup, and she flies around on a black horse wearing black robes and always keeps her face hidden, but when she reveals herself, she has ruby red eyes, blood red lips, deathly pale skin, and charcoal black hair. I see her a lot. She's stopped flirting with me, when she found out I was married, but it REALLY stopped when Cupid found her soulmate, and Death married him that day." Jack smirked after his explanation and it was likely due to the shock on Bunny's face, which was quite amusing at the moment.

_"I'm glad for that." Jack in the memory grinned. "I'm glad you came to talk with me about it."_

_"So am I. I didn't want to think the worst, and I had a feeling it wasn't true, but..."_

_"I know, but do you understand why I won't leave the home I have?"_

_"I do. Mother Nature's asked me to live with her in her Domain many times, but my place...just like you...has been my place since I was made a spirit. I can't leave it."_

_"I'm glad you understand." He sighed out._

_"Same, but...there was also one other thing I wanted to talk with you about."_

_"Alright, what is it?" Jack asked and then he took in her worried expression, which caused his smile to falter. "Grace? What's wrong?"_

_"Ah, well...it um...it wouldn't be the same, and it wouldn't count as a believer, because it would be on the spiritual plane, and I...I just don't know how to tell you this...and I..." She was quickly interrupted with Jack placing his hand on the side of her neck and kissing her softly on the lips. Once he pulled away she staggered slightly and nodded her head. "I-I was babbling, wasn't I?"_

_"Yes, you were." Jack smirked. "Try again...slower."_

_She nodded her head and took in a deep breath before letting it out. "I hadn't been feeling well for the past week...you know that...and well...I talked with Mother Nature about it, and well...I'm pregnant."_

_"Y-You're WHAT!?" Jack shouted as he fell to the ground on his butt, looking up at her._

_She got on her knees in front of him, getting her dress dirty, but apparently she didn't care as she took his hands once more. "I'm pregnant, Jack. I'm about two months along, and I didn't know how to tell you, and those rumors...they worried me, but not anymore, and now I know how ridiculous it was, but...yes, I'm pregnant, and I'm sorry, but it won't count as a mortal believer like you wanted..."_

_"I...I'm gonna be a-a Father?" Jack asked as he sat up straighter, looking at her belly._

_"Yes." She nodded her head with a bright smile._

_Jack immediately stood up, pulled her up off the ground, and picked her up to spin her around while letting out a joyous laugh. "I'm gonna be a Father!" Once he was done spinning her around he gave her a quick but passionate kiss. "Oh...do the other spirits know?"_

_"Not yet, but they will." She laughed out. "Since Sandy is like a Father to you, you should probably go tell him. I'm sorry for doubting you."_

_"Oh, that's fine, Grace. You at least talked with me about it and allowed me to explain myself. Not many people do that. You, Mother Nature, and Sandy are the only ones that actually WAIT for an explanation."_

_"True, so...are you going to go and tell him?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before giving him a soft smile._

_"Y-Yes!" He nodded and I smiled, knowing what was going to happen next._

_The memory blinked and Jack was rushing towards my dream cloud and he picked me up and spun me around quickly before setting me back down. "Wh-What the...Jack? What was that for?" I held a hand to my head as I tried to steady myself._

_"Get steady, alright? Are you done with dreams here?"_

_"I am now. What is it?" I asked him as I shook my head before looking at him. "Why do you look so happy?"_

_"Okay, just...you may want to sit down."_

_"Jack..." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "...I am a little less than four feet tall, if I fall on my ass from what you have to tell me, it's not like it's a long way down." At my words, the Guardians gasped in shock and Bunny looked highly amused._

_"Okay, fine...you remember my wife Grace, right?"_

_"How could I not?" I chuckled lightly as I looked back up at him. "You talk about her at least five times a week...AT LEAST!"_

_"R-Right..." He laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "W-Well...tonight she told me she um...she told me she's pregnant."_

_"What?" I asked with widened eyes as I did fall on my butt, looking up at Jack._

_"Yeah, she said that Mother Nature gave her a check up of some kind and well...she's pregnant. She's two months along. I'm gonna be a Father, Sandy!"_

_"Y-You...you're gonna be a...which would make me a..."_

_"Yeah, you're gonna be a Grandfather."_

_My eyes widened and I was instantly up once again, wrapping my arms around his neck. "This is great news!" I shouted with pure excitement in my tone._

_"So..." He chuckled out as he patted my back to signal I was hugging him to tightly, so I released the hug. "...I take it you're happy to be a Grandfather?"_

_"Are you kidding me!?" I laughed out in disbelief. "I'm overjoyed! Oh...but...are you...still gonna stay at the Domain?"_

_"Well, Grace and I had a brief sort of discussion about that. It seems she's really and truly okay with me staying at the Domain, so unless you want me out...I'll stay. I'm sure I can bring the baby by every now and then, and oh! The mermaids are gonna love the little one! I wonder if it's gonna be a boy or a girl."_

_"I don't know...but Jack...you know...this won't be the same as having a believer."_

_"Yes, I know, and I'll ALWAYS want at least ONE mortal child to believe in me. For at least one mortal child to SEE me, but...I'm also gonna have a child of my own and I...oh...I'm so happy, Sandy!" Jack flopped on his back and started giggling. "I'm gonna be a Father."_

_"C'mon, let's go home." I chuckled out as I shook my head, and I conjured a portal in front of us that I flew us into and I was instantly wearing different clothes as we landed in the castle just behind the door. I was wearing the same clothes from the memory that Kozmotis showed Jack, and I only noticed it now while watching the memory, but Jack's eyes narrowed at my outfit. I turned around to face him in the memory and looked down at my clothes. "What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing...it's just...have you worn that before?"_

_"More than likely. So, what are you going to do if she has twins?" I joked as I crossed my arms, looking him up and down to see his reaction._

_"Wh-What!? I mean...I know it's possible...but...Tw-Twins!?"_

_"Oh, or TRIPLETS!" As soon as I said it, he started to fall back, but I created a sand chair behind him to fall into. "Calm down, Jack. It's just a joke...but it could be a possibility." I smirked as I walked closer to him to help him up._

_"Not funny, Father." He pouted at me as he brushed his clothes off._

_"You're right." I nodded my head. "That was hilarious." I snorted out a laugh and instantly felt a snowball to my face._

_"Not. Funny." He smirked._

_"Yes. It. Was." I told him just before running away laughing at him as he threw snowballs at me. "HEY! Not in the entry way! You wanna have a snowball fight, we have one in the training room!" I kept laughing as I ran away from him and the memory shifted, but as the pattern had been going, Tooth paused it, and I knew why._

"YOU HAVE A CHILD!?" Tooth, North, and Bunny shouted.

"Well..." Jack looked at me and I looked up at him as we were both wearing broad smirks. "...if you want to get technical I have three children."

"THREE!?" They shouted with wide open smiles. "How come you never told us!?"

"Really?" Jack questioned with a serious expression. "Telling you would spark WAY more questions and LONGER explanations. I like this a lot better. I get to tell you by you going through my memories, and I don't really have to explain too much. Oh, and tell me how I was supposed to bring that up in a conversation. 'Hey guys, I know this is a monthly meeting and everything, but I just thought you should all know that I have three children and have been a Father since 1901. So, what are we here to talk about?' Really?"

"HA! When you put it like that!" North bellowed out with an understanding nod. "So...were they triplets after all?"

"No, the first one was born by herself..."

"A GIRL!" Tooth squealed at a pitch I thought only dogs could hear at, but apparently not.

Jack nodded his head and with a small laugh before continuing. "However, the second pregnancy was identical twin boys. They had some differences, but they're about ninety-eight percent identical. The only real difference is their hair and eye color."

"What are their names?" Bunny questioned with pure curiosity in his tone.

"My little girl is named Jasmine Rose, and my boys are named Ronan Michael and Seamus Orion. Obviously their last names are Frost, but-"

"Hold a mo'! You mean to tell me...your boy is Seamus Orion!?"

"Yup." He grinned, and I let out a expectant sigh.

"Y-You're son...is the spirit of St. Patrick's Day!? You're son is the Leprechaun!?" He then darted his eyes to me and I gave a light shrug.

"Yeah?" He questioned with a small knowing smirk. "What about it?"

"Nothin' I'm sure we'll...Wait...RONAN MICHAEL is your SON!?"

"Yes." He chuckled out as he leaned against his staff.

"Y-Your son is...YOUR SON IS THE BLOODY GROUNDHOG!?"

"Yeah, I was pretty impressed when he actually turned into one. I'm proud of my twin boys and just as proud for my little girl."

"What's your little girl do?" North asked with a look of pure awe and wonder in his eyes.

"She's the General of Spring." Jack answered with pride. "My boys have believers, and my girl manages Spring like I manage Winter."

"Holy...your daughter's the General of Spring!?" Bunny stuttered out as he held a paw to his head in disbelief and shock, causing me to cross my arms and grin at his reaction.

"Okay, now I have to know. What's your issue with my kids, Cottontail?" The knowing smirk was still there, but no one seemed to notice it, which caused a highly amused look to appear in Jack's eyes.

"W-Well...me and the Groundhog never really got along. We never fought, but I never really gave him the time of day. I just thought he was a bit annoying with his powers to decide spring or winter lengths, and the few times we did talk I..."

"Yeah, I know." Jack interrupted with a brief raise of his brow accompanied by an unamused smirk, that had me grinning from ear to ear.

"R-Right..." He laughed nervously. "...well, I always thought it was weird how Ronan and Seamus looked alike, but I never thought...I mean they have a few differences like Ronan's hair is maple brown like when you were mortal and Seamus is a ginger..."

"He get's that from Grace. He got her eyes too. Mother Nature poked fun at her for being a shy ginger. However, those are the only differences they were born with. They both chose different hair styles as they got older."

"Right...well...Seamus and I..."

"Are friends, I know. He's told me you're his best friend."

"Y-Yeah and Jasmine Rose...I...I didn't know she was your daughter...but I..."

"The two of you are together." Jack smirked, and I glanced up at Tooth and North who stared at Bunny. "I know." He chuckled warmly. "My children tell me everything, Bunny."

"W-Wait...so...during the Pitch battle...you knew!?"

"Yup."

"W-Well...don't I feel like a right fool...and ya were okay with that after how I've been treatin' ya?"

"Sandy's told me enough about you and so has she for that matter...that I knew it would've been alright. Mine and your issues were between us. I wasn't going to let that get in the way of her happiness, and Ronan...well...he  _wants_  to be your friend, but he has no tact and comes off as harsh most of the time. He's actually pretty timid...hence why he's the Groundhog and scared of his own shadow."

"S-So...I...well..." I watched with pure amusement and joy as Bunny turned into a stuttering mess with his ears going haywire. "I mean...I'm late askin', but I..."

"You have my permission, Bunny, and my blessing."

"Th-Thanks, but...wait...why did you act the way you did at Easter this year? You..."

"I thought...I was finally being helpful to more than just my family. I thought I may have had a chance at being believed in. I thought I had gained friends...I thought we became friends. I thought I was finally no longer being a nuisance and that I could perhaps find what I was meant to do since Manny told all of you I was meant to be a Guardian. I didn't want to do it, but as we helped you in the warren, it gave me a lot to think about...but then...well..."

"Oh...that makes sense."

 _"WHAT are the two of you TALKING about!?"_  I asked, sensing how the aura in the room got tense and guilt ridden from EVERYONE.

"It was...it was after ya died."

_"If I don't see it in his memories, I want an explanation after."_

"Right, and ya deserve one." Bunny nodded his head at me before turning to face Jack. "Um...Jacky, it really don't bother ya none that I'm courting your daughter? I mean...I'm a Pooka and...a rabbit, but I..."

"I don't mind, Bunny. Not in the slightest. Plus, Sandy explained to me that Pooka's are shape shifters and have a human form as well."

"WHAT!?" Tooth and North shouted.

"Crikey, mate...ya HAD to say that didn't ya. Fine! Since I know they're gonna ask to see it..." Jack and I watched Tooth and North with wide amused smiles as Bunny started to glow and his body changed in the light, but black with loose baggy pant legs that gripped his ankles were conjured over his legs as well as a royal purple sash with intricate golden designs. The sash went from his right hip and draped over his left leg while also wrapping around his waist. His markings turned into tattoos. His hair was long and cascaded down to the middle of his shirtless back with a dark gray almost blue color. "This is my human form."

"You look like a warrior!" North exclaimed with widened eyes.

"Oi! I AM a warrior! I just much prefer being a rabbit. However..." He quickly looked to Jack, who was staring at him with a broad smile. "...anytime I'm with her, I'm like this...but she says she...she..."

"She says she loves you in your Bunny form too. I know." Jack chuckled out as he rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to see what she was talking about, and now I know."

"S-So...she talks about me?"

"Only non-stop." He smirked. "Perhaps you'll see that in my memories. You can change back into a Bunny now if you want."

He nodded his head and did just that. Once he was back in Bunny form, he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank ya, Jacky."

"No worries, Bunny." Jack gave him a reassuring smile. "Tooth, can you continue the memory?" With a surprised nod of her head she resumed the memory.


	5. Chapter 5

_The memory settled on Jack rushing into Antarctica, and lifting his sleeve to reveal a sapphire colored tattoo around his wrist, and a portal opened up that he immediately flew threw. "King Jack!" A winter sprite addressed him with an urgent tone._

_"Where is she!?"_

_"She's in her room! Mother Nature got here three hours ago!"_

_"Thank you!" He shouted and he flew into the large ice castle. Once inside we all blinked at our surroundings that were moving almost too fast due to his speed, but it was remarkable on the inside and didn't look like it belonged to a Snow Queen. It was ice on the outside, but a normal castle on the inside. Soon, Jack was at a door and he calmed his breathing once he landed. Then, he knocked on the door._

_"Come in." Came Grace's reply, and Jack opened the door as carefully as he could, and he slowly stepped in. "Jack, come meet your daughter."_

_"D-Daughter?" Jack stuttered out as he walked closer to the bed. "Wh-When...how late am I?"_

_"About an hour late, but that's okay. You had a blizzard to control. Come and hold her, but be careful...she just fell asleep."_

_Jack nodded his head and placed his staff next to Grace's side of the bed as Mother Nature sat in a chair on the opposite side with a proud look on her face. Jack then carefully took her into his arms and his knees visibly became week, so he sat on the bed with her. "Sh-She's so tiny. I-Is she okay?"_

_"She's fine." Mother Nature laughed lightly. "She's a perfectly healthy spring spirit."_

_"Sp-Spring spirit!?"_

_"When spirits have children they almost never gain their parents powers. This is one of those times. I can sense it though, she'll be a very powerful spring spirit."_

_Jack nodded his head as he looked down at her and smiled. "Your Grandfather is going to spoil you rotten. You're so adorable, and I'm sure in his eyes, you'll be able to do no wrong."_

_"If that's the truth, then I have some personal words for him." Mother Nature chuckled out and I just shook my head with a delighted smile as I saw her cross her arms._

_"W-Was it difficult?" He whispered as he turned to face Grace._

_"Yes, but worth it, and like I said...it's okay. You had to tame that blizzard."_

_"Yeah, and she's born April 15th, 1901. You were right, Grace, and I was wrong."_

_"A rare thing for you to say." Grace grinned as she gave Jack a loving look._

_"Yeah, well...I'm a physically fourteen year old spirit holding his daughter...I think that's rare in and of itself."_

_"True." She nodded her head. "She doesn't have a name yet...how about you name her?"_

_Jack blinked at her in shock as his smile grew. "A-Are you sure?"_

_"Yes." She gave another nod of her head._

_"Hmm...Jasmine Rose Frost."_

_"A very beautiful name for a spring spirit." Mother Nature commented and the memory shifted, but this time Tooth didn't do anything to it._

_Jack was holding Jasmine in his arms and he just walked into the castle. "Alright, I need you to be quiet. He doesn't know you were born yet." Jack gave her a kiss on her sleeping forehead as he continued to walk in. "Father? Where are you?" He asked as he carefully covered Jasmine's ears while holding her._

_"In the kitchen!"_

_"Perfect." Jack grinned as he made his way to the kitchen. Once he was there, I was in the middle of pulling a glass bowl down to put my ice cream in, but when I turned around and saw what Jack was holding, I immediately dropped the bowl, causing it to crash to the floor, accidentally waking the baby up._

_I sent a swift dream sand tendril to her and her crying stopped immediately, putting her back to sleep, but I was stuck in the same place. I looked at the glass on the floor and quickly started sweeping it up and putting it in the trash. "I-Is that...!?" I stuttered out as I swiftly made my way to Jack and what he was holding._

_"Yeah, meet your Granddaughter. Her name is Jasmine Rose Frost." With shaky arms I took her from him carefully and tears instantly started spilling from my eyes._

_"She's beautiful, Jack."_

_"Isn't she? She's a week old today. She's also a spring spirit apparently. Mother Nature said she'll be a powerful spring spirit."_

_"A spring spirit? My, that is something." I grinned at him as I moved the blanket a little more out of her face. "So...no twins?"_

_"No." He chuckled warmly. "No twins. So, can I ask why you're crying?"_

_"Jack, I couldn't imagine how fortunate...how incredibly and unbelievably lucky I was to gain a son so late in life, and now I have a Granddaughter." I looked down at her and didn't even try to stop the steady stream of joyful tears. "The last time I held an infant was when my niece was born. I never thought I would hold my own Granddaughter."_

_"Yeah, and you'll never believe what Grace told me just yesterday."_

_"Oh, this should be interesting." I grinned as I made it to a chair at the dining table. "What did she say?"_

_"She said she wants two more. The woman isn't getting enough sleep, because she's constantly getting up and taking care of Jasmine, and she wants two more! She's just a week old!"_

_"Perhaps the next pregnancy will be twins."_

_"Oh, don't you dare!" He lightly hit my shoulder. "I can already tell she's going to be trouble."_

_"Oh, like you aren't?" I rolled my eyes with a shake of my head._

_"Good point. So, on a scale of one to ten...how spoiled is she gonna be because of you?"_

_"I think we'd be at a safe twenty." I grinned before handing her back to him. The memory shifted and Jack was holding Jasmine's hand with his left hand while Grace was walking beside him on the right and they were walking towards the lake again._

_"Grace, am I in trouble?"_

_"When aren't you?" She questioned with a fond smile. "No, you're not in trouble this time."_

_"Good, because when you bring me to the Burgess pond it's to have a picnic, but when you bring me to this lake...it's when you have something serious to talk to me about." Jack picked Jasmine up and sat on the boulder with her in his lap._

_"Mama has important thing to say!"_

_"That's right." Grace smiled brightly at her five year old._

_"Alright, what is it?"_

_"Well...while you took Jasmine for the week, I spoke with Mother Nature about something and she checked me over..."_

_"This...conversation...sounds familiar." Jack's eyes widened as he subconsciously held his daughter tighter in his lap._

_"That's because...I'm pregnant again."_

_"A-Again!?"_

_"YAY!" Jasmine cheered as she bounced up and down in Jack's lap. "I'll have a little sister!"_

_"Or brothers."_

_"U-Um...why was there an 'S' on the end of that?" Jack questioned with a slightly paler expression._

_"Hmm? Oh...no reason."_

_"Grace?" Jack drawled out with a shaky tone. "H-How far along are you?" He allowed Jasmine to slip off the boulder before he got down as well, and he held her hand before placing his other hand over Grace's belly. "Wh-Why a-are you...you're...but...I didn't notice...and you're..."_

_"Huge?"_

_"Y-Yeah..." He nodded his head frantically. "...wait...your belly is this big...it wasn't this big until you were five months pregnant with Jasmine...h-how far along are you?"_

_"I had wanted to wait to know for sure, because I had a gut feeling so I waited a couple of months after finding out I was pregnant...I'm four almost five months pregnant. Mother Nature put an enchantment on my clothes to where you wouldn't notice until AFTER I told you."_

_"Wh-What was your gut instinct?"_

_"That I was pregnant with twins."_

_"TWINS!? Oh...Sandy's never gonna let me hear the end of it."_

_"Yes, twins."_

_"But..." Jack shook his head in confusion while still looking at her with love in his eyes. "...you hid it for me for almost three months?"_

_"Considering I knew when I was two months pregnant...yeah, but I wanted to make sure. Are you mad?"_

_"No, I think it's the best prank you've played on me yet." He snorted out a laugh before crouching down to kiss her belly. "I can't wait to meet both of you." He stood back up and gave Grace a kiss. "So...we don't know if they're boys or girls?"_

_"No, but Mother Nature said that they're identical. Why isn't Sandy going to let you live it down?"_

_"Because, he teased me about your first pregnancy possibly being twins...or even TRIPLETS! Then...after Jasmine was born, he said that perhaps the next pregnancy would be twins and well..."_

_"Oh, I can't wait until you tell me how that goes. Mother Nature said I can't fly for right now since I had a dizzy spell earlier."_

_"Are you alright!?"_

_"Yes, I'm fine. She gave me some medicine. Now, I'm going to head back and go lie down. You go tell Sandy the news and suffer the 'I told you so's'."_

_"I could've sworn you loved me at some point." He chuckled low as he shook his head. He gave her a kiss and placed Jasmine's hand into Grace's. "You alright with her?"_

_The memory blinked and Jack was walking into my room in the middle of the day. 'Maybe he won't mind if I wake him up for this...but it's kind of like waking a bear.'_

I flew up and hit Jack in the back of the head.  _"That wasn't funny."_

"It's true!" He laughed out, and I couldn't stay angry at him when even his eyes showed mirth, so I turned to face the memory with a smile on my face.

_Jack crept closer to my bed where I was sleeping shirtless and he placed his hand on my shoulder shaking me awake. I briefly opened my eyes before groaning and turning over while I was still on my stomach and my arms were under my pillows. "Jack, I swear...somebody had better be DEAD!_ _I JUST fell asleep!"_

_"No...no one's dead."_

_"Is the castle on fire?"_

_"No."_

_"Did you freeze the kitchen...again?"_

_"No."_

_"Is the high tide flooding the castle?"_

_"No...and that's NEVER happened."_

_"Are you injured and or dying?"_

_"No."_

_"Then WHY are you waking me up!?"_

_"Grace is pregnant again."_

_At that point my eyes shot wide open and I propped myself up so I could immediately turn to look at Jack. "Come again?"_

_"Grace is pregnant again."_

_I jumped out of bed in my checkered pajamas and wrapped Jack in a tight hug and spun him around. "That's great news!"_

_"So...a good...reason to...wake you up? Father! I...can't breathe...getting...dizzy!"_

_"Oh, sorry!" He put me down and waited for me to gain my footing. "Yes! That's a GREAT reason to wake me up!"_

_"Yes, well...you're gonna be ecstatic when I tell you the rest, and PLEASE don't pick me up and swing me around like that. It's one thing when Wind does it, it's another when you do it."_

_"Okay, what is it?"_

_"She's pregnant with twins."_

_With a wide smile I jumped onto my bed to stand taller and I pointed at him with a joyfully defiant expression. "HA! I told you! I knew it! I knew the day you told me she was pregnant the first time that either that one or the next pregnancy would be twins! Oh! You are in for a world of trouble!"_

_"They're apparently identical too."_

_"HA! My mother got LUCKY with my brother and I being fraternal twins. Oh, I can't wait to meet them!"_

_"You're not the only one, and it turned out Jasmine was in on the little secret! They're due in about four to five months."_

_"And you're just NOW telling me!?" I shouted at him as I jumped down to look him straight in the eyes._

_"HEY! She JUST told me! She wanted to make sure her gut feeling about having twins was right!"_

_"Oh, this great! I'm never gonna let you live it down! Eternity, Jack! Eternity!"_

_"Oh shut it!" Jack laughed out as he rolled his eyes. "Just how much trouble were you and Uncle Kozzy anyway?"_

_"Like you wouldn't believe! We'd get into everything, steal the horses to go for a ride, prank Mother and Father to no end, use our powers on each other when we were fighting, hiding from our parents when we were small...the list goes on!"_

_"Yikes...and that's what I have to look forward to!"_

_"Well, on the bright side, Jasmine and the mermaids get along well enough. Perhaps you'll have two more-"_

_"Don't you DARE finish that sentence. I love my daughter to pieces, but she's a handful. I don't think I can handle two more girls."_

_"A handful? Huh, much like someone else I know."_

_Jack blinked at me a few times and then wrapped his arms around me. "I'm so sorry, Father! I understand! However, I also promise to NEVER stop being difficult."_

_"I would expect nothing less." I grinned as I returned the hug. Once I let go of the hug I gave him a soft smile. "Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure?"_

_"What are you gonna do if...your children get believed in...before you do?"_

_"I'll be happy for them, that's what I'll do. I wouldn't wish being invisible to the world on anyone let alone my own children. I actually HOPE they get seen before I do."_

_"That's good to hear." The memory began to shift, but Tooth stopped it as she started laughing._

"Oh my! It really  _was_  like waking a bear! Who knew you were such a grouch!?"

"I did." Jack and Bunny both chorused with amused expressions while even North was trying to hold back his laughter.

"That seemed like a rather routine set of questions and answers the two of you had." North stated while trying and miserably failing to hide his chuckles.

"It was." Jack answered. "I've woken him up before and I learned that he doesn't like to be woken without good reason...the time I froze the entire kitchen was good reason. I was trying to make him something to eat and usually I'm really good at it, but..."

 _"He got frustrated when he couldn't figure out which ingredients went first, and we were still working on self control...so...yeah."_  I explained and noticed the embarrassed laugh that came out of Jack.

"Yeah...that wasn't a fun lecture."

 _"Not for either of us. Tooth, can you please continue the memory?"_  She nodded her head and resumed the memory.

_When it settled, Jack was in the Snow Queen's Domain and there was a loud, "DADDY!" From three children, and he was suddenly tackled to the ground._

_"Whoa!" He laughed out as his back hit the ground. "Alright, alright! Oh! I'm defeated!"_

_"We missed you!" Jasmine giggled out and she seemed to be about ten while the boys were around five or six._

"Well, it's a whole new perspective seeing the Groundhog and the Leprechaun like this."

"Everyone was a child at some point, Bunny." Jack chuckled as the memory continued.

_"I've missed you too, but I was only gone for a day."_

_"Th-That's a day t-too long!" Ronan cried out as he got off of Jack._

_"Yeah, that's a day too long!" Seamus agreed as he got up and crossed his arms._

_"You all know that I have a job to do. The three of you will eventually have jobs of your own someday, and Jasmine..." Jack chuckled lightly as he stood up, holding her in his lap. "You're currently in training with Mother Nature to become the General of Spring."_

_"Yeah!" She shouted as she flew up into the air and did a back flip before giving Jack a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be the best General of Spring ever!"_

_"I'm sure." Jack chuckled warmly._

_"W-Well..." Ronan started as he looked at Jasmine. "I-I figured out something I can do!"_

_"Alright...show me." Jack told him as he stood up once again._

_Ronan nodded his head and within an instant glow, he turned into a Groundhog. "I can do this!"_

_Jack picked him up with a look of awe on his face. "Well, now that is something. You can turn into a Groundhog. I'm sure there's a good purpose for you. You're also really adorable."_

_"Y-You think so?" He asked as he turned back into a boy again._

_"Yes, I really do. So, Seamus, how's your spring magic coming along?"_

_"I'm really good with clovers! They're my favorite! I made a four leaf clover on accident...but Mama and Mother Nature said it was amazing, so sometimes I make those for good luck!"_

_"That sounds great, what else?"_

_"Oh, I also learned out to make a rainbow with rain and...and...and...OH! I can use whips like Grandfather, but mine are made out of vines! Mother Nature said I shouldn't do that though...that I could hurt someone...OH! But Grandfather said when I'm old enough I can train with him!"_

_"I'm proud of all of you!"_

_"YAY!" They shouted and tackled Jack again._

_The memory shifted and this time Jack was alone flying in the middle of the night. 'I wonder how Grace and them are doing.' At his thought he was knocked out of the sky with something black and similar to a ball of shadow. Once he fell to the ground he groaned as he tried to get up. "Am I just wearing a sign that says 'Hey, come knock me out of the sky!?'"_

_"Oh, wouldn't that just be wonderful!" Pitch's voice sounded and I immediately looked at Jack, who started to rub the back of his neck with a guilty expression._

_Jack in the memory looked around for the voice and rolled his eyes. "Well look, if you're not man enough to face me, the least you could do is TRY and keep your snarkfest to yourself and don't knock me out of the sky."_

_"Standing up to the Boogeyman..." His voice cooed as he came out from behind a tree. "...My you are a brave one."_

_"Oh, so that's what you look like. For a second I thought perhaps you were nothing more than a voice." Jack smirked as he clutched his staff carefully tighter. "Who are you again?"_

_"My name is Pitch Black, and you look like someone I once knew, but...alas...you're not EXACTLY him. Fortunately enough."_

_"Ah, my apologies...I don't speak crazy. Could you translate?"_

_"Oh, this is too rich! You really don't know! Well..." Pitch started chuckling darkly and my hands were itching for my whips, because this was Jack, all alone, and he never told me about it. "...let's just say I don't like you."_

_"Pfft!" Jack snorted out. "Get in line! Some of Mother Nature's spirits STILL don't like me."_

_"Yes, so I've seen. Tell me, why do you spend so much time with the Sandman?"_

_"I don't believe that's any of your business. You're obviously no friend of his, and considering how creepy and rude you're acting, I highly doubt we became friends."_

_"Oh, the irony of your words. They're beautiful, you have no idea."_

_"Yeah, creepy is the right word. So, what do you want with me?"_

_"I wanted to ask you a few things, care to humor me?"_

_"Actually I do. You see, I try to make it a habit not to talk to men all dressed in black that ask about my friends with an intrigued smile...OH, and that speak fluent madman."_

_Pitch nodded his head with another dark chuckle. "Hmm...well...I was just wondering if you were tired of not being believed in, but perhaps I was wrong."_

_"What?"_

_"Oh?" Pitch smirked. "Now I have your attention? Well, I could get you believed in, Jack Frost."_

_"How?" He asked as he pointed his staff at Pitch while wearing a carefully neutral expression._

_"Well, you see...I have a plan in place, and I could use someone like you. Someone cold, ice, mischievous, and someone with a grudge against the Guardians."_

_"Alright, and we're back to you not making sense. What makes you think I have a grudge against the Guardians?"_

_"Oh, so...you mean to tell me it wasn't you I saw from the shadows constantly trying to sneak into North's workshop, or help the children with eggs and get shouted at and nearly pummeled by the Easter Bunny? Oh, and what about the Sandman?"_

_"What about him?"_

_"Well, perhaps he just took pity on a poor spirit like you. Perhaps he keeps an eye on you to make sure you don't cause too much trouble. Perhaps he just took you in to fill the void of him wanting a child."_

_"You know about that?" Jack breathed out with widened eyes and a tone of disbelief._

_"HA! I know more about him than you! I've known him far longer than anyone on this earth!"_

_"Somehow...I highly doubt that."_

_"Oh? How?"_

_"To be honest..." Jack trailed off as his eyes narrowed at Pitch. "...I'm not sure, but it's like YOU don't know him...but the person that you look like...does."_

_"Huh...maybe not all is lost in that frosted little brain after all."_

_Jack rolled his eyes and stood firm with his staff, and I couldn't believe what I was watching. "Look, if you're gonna try and go after the Guardians...and you're gonna use me to do it, forget it! Leave me alone."_

_"We'll see, Jack. We'll see." He slunk back into the shadows and the memory shifted, but Tooth took one look at the expression on my face and paused it._

I looked to Jack and crossed my arms while tapping my foot.  _"Why did you never tell me!?"_

"Because...it was too weird, and nothing really happened. Besides, I didn't really know that much about him, so I didn't KNOW to tell you."

 _"Fine...that's fair."_  I sighed out and nodded at Tooth to continue the memories.

_When the memory settled, Jack was flying in the air during the day when he looked down and saw Jasmine sitting in a tree looking down. 'Now, what could she be looking at?' He smirked and quietly landed on the branch above her, seemingly going unnoticed. Then, his eyes widened as he saw Bunny walking around, hiding the eggs for Easter. 'No way...' He breathed out in his mind as he looked closer at his daughter._ _She was wearing a long emerald green dress and her hair cascaded down her back in waves and she held a dreamy expression in her eyes as she watched Bunny below her. She let out a sigh and Jack held a wide eyed look of disbelief for a brief moment before it was replaced by amusement. 'My daughter...has a crush on the Easter Bunny...the Guardian of Hope. Well, at least she picked someone good.' Once Bunny dove back into the hole, Jack cleared his throat and put on a disapproving expression, but it was clear to those of us who had seen his face moments before, it was fake._

_Jasmine quickly turned around a blushed violently. "F-Father! H-How long h-have you been there!?"_

_"Long enough to see that you are apparently smitten with the Easter Bunny."_

_"I-It's not...I mean...I..."_

_"So you're gonna sit there and tell me I did not just see a dreamy look in your eyes as you sighed happily while looking at Bunny, the Guardian of Hope?"_

_"W-Well I..."_

_"Save it, Jasmine. Just tell me the truth and I promise you, this won't end like you think."_

_She nodded her head, but the blush remained and I glanced at Bunny who's jaw was dropped with stunned eyes. "I um..."_

_"So nervous...tell me, how old are you?"_

_"I uh...I'll be twenty-eight next month."_

_"Right...so...mind telling me...a little bit calmer?"_

_She took in a deep breath and let it out with a nod of her head. "I think I'm in love with him."_

_"You think?" Jack's eyes widened considerably. "Jasmine, you either are or you aren't. Trust me, being friends with Cupid gives you information like that."_

_"W-Well...then I am. B-But I...I know what you think of him, and I...well...I won't I promise. I just...I can't help it, and he's so sweet and kind and I..."_

_"Wait, what does my opinion of him have to do with it?"_

_"W-Well...I...you and him don't get along. He...He says horrible things to you and..."_

_"...and despite all that, I know he's still a good spirit." Jack let out a heavy sigh before floating down to sit next to Jasmine on the branch she was on. "Me and him...we fight like cats and dogs...or like winter and spring." He let out a chuckle as he nudged her shoulder. "I don't know if we'll ever get along. I know he probably hates me, but as your Grandfather keeps trying to remind me, it's because he doesn't know me like the rest of you do. However, that doesn't make it any easier. We'll likely continue to fight for all of eternity, and I can't say I'm much better. I've said some pretty horrible things too, but even through all that...I know he's good. It's just...it's like we can't help it. I hope someday that will change, but...if you really love him, I won't object to you being with him."_

_"Wh-What!?" She squeaked out as her jaw dropped in shock._

_"You heard me." He chuckled warmly. "Bunny and I...we may never get along, but that doesn't mean you have to be a part of that. I know he'll be good for you."_

_"How could you know that if the two of you fight so much?" She turned to look at the ground where Bunny had left through his hole._

_"Because..." Jack trailed off as he looked at the sky. "...because he's good. He's a kind spirit. He's good to his friends, and he defends them with everything he's got. He protects the children of the world, giving them something that in my opinion is more sensitive than Wonder, Dreams, or Memories. He protects and gives them Hope. You see...hope is a great thing to have, but as much as it can be risen...it can be shattered in an instant, and the fact that he protects that in children, which are vulnerable enough as it is...I know he'll protect you."_

_"S-So...if I...if I'm in a relationship with him...you really won't mind?"_

_Jack let out a soft chuckle before kissing the side of her head. "Can't imagine anyone better to protect and love my little girl. He'll be good to you, I know it."_

_"Thanks, Daddy."_

_"No problem. So, how's your training going?"_

_"Um...it's going...well."_

_"Uh huh..." Jack smirked. "...so you DIDN'T entangle Emily's Garden in a thick layer of vines?"_

_"She uh...told you about that?"_

_"There isn't much she doesn't tell me when it comes to your training."_

_"I know, but Mother Nature can be so..."_

_"...and so can you. You have to learn to listen and learn self control. I'm STILL having to learn from your Grandfather. I know you can do it. Now, I DO think you have to go clean up your mess."_

_"Alright..." She sighed out and the dream started to shift, but Tooth abruptly paused it._

I turned to look at Bunny and his ears were completely flat against his head, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was breathless from the conversation that just happened. "Bunny?" I heard Jack carefully ask.

"J-Jack..." He stuttered out with a shaky breath as his eyes suddenly darted to the ground. "...I...you...ya g-gave m-me permission before I...b-before she..."

"Bunny, are you alright?" Jack asked cautiously as he stepped forward to place a hand on Bunny's shoulder, but Bunny flinched away as if he had been burnt, causing a confused look to appear on my face and a concerned one to appear on everyone else while Bunny started to look incredibly guilty.

"D-Don't. I...the things ya said, mate..." He shook his head as he let out a small shaky laugh. "...I don't e-even deserve to call ya that."

"What makes you say that?" Jack questioned as he gripped Bunny's shoulder to for him to look at him.

"I...the things I've said to ya...and the Blizzard of '68...oh Strewth...the Blizzard of '68...what I did to ya...and...then what I said 'bout you becomin' a Guardian...and somehow...after what I said to ya at Easter...ya still got Jamie to believe. I...I haven't done anythin' to deserve your friendship."

"Bunny, you've done plenty to deserve my friendship."

"LIKE WHAT!?" He shouted as he pulled away from Jack again. "I tore ya to shreds in '68!"

"You...what?" Tooth whispered out and I winced, because I knew about it.

"I...well...I don't wanna talk about it, but let's just say...I walked away from the Blizzard of '68...but Jack didn't. I suspect..." Bunny turned to face me and I let out a heavy sigh.

_"I found him, healed him, and when he woke...he told me about it."_

"Right...but..." Bunny nodded his head before turning to face Jack. "If you can name ONE thing I've done to deserve your friendship then I'll believe ya."

"You love my daughter." Jack stated without hesitation. "I'll give you a few more. You're my son's best friend, you treat both my son and daughter like gold...more so my daughter for obvious reasons, and in the end of the Pitch battle...we were finally friends, and when Pitch was about to kill me with his scythe, you tried to throw your boomerang at it telling me to look out. More importantly though, you're good to my children."

"I'm...I'm never gonna be able to make it up to ya." Bunny stared wide eyed as his body seemed to relax some, and I let out a silent breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Keep treating my daughter like you have been and we'll call it even." Jack gave him an honest smile, that made Bunny's ears stand at attention as Hope was visible in his eyes.

"I can definitely do that!" He nodded his head quickly.

"Good." Jack chuckled lightly.

"So...are the two of you okay now?" Tooth questioned.

"Yeah, I think we are." Jack smirked. "Can you continue the memories?" Tooth let out a sigh of relief with a shake of her head as she resumed the memories.


	6. Chapter 6

_"So, how was your outing with Bunny?" Jack asked as Jasmine sat next to him in a tree next to the pond in Burgess._

_"It was amazing!" She sighed._

_"I bet. It's 1968. It took you long enough to tell him that you liked him romantically. I thought I was gonna have to watch the two of you be friends forever! Then, last year it finally happened!"_

_"Oh shut it." She chuckled lightly. "It's nearly dawn. Do you think he'll show?"_

_"You asked to meet him here. I'm sure he'll show. So, about your outing...and did I hear you right last time? Did you say that he has a human form?"_

_"Yeah! It's super muscular and..."_

_"...and you're blushing just talking about it!" Jack laughed out as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Oh, you are to the moon!"_

_"So what if I am?" She pouted with a slight smile. "He's really sweet and an actual gentleman."_

_"It's not an issue. I think it's great. I'm glad you found someone. However, it is adorable how if I bring him up you start turning into the color of a strawberry." Jack stood up on the tree branch and let out a slight chuckle. "Well, I better get going. I'd hate to ruin your date."_

_"It...It's not a date...is it?"_

_"He invited you to a picnic. You said yes. It's a date." Jack smirked and flew away, but just as he was about to be out of sight, he heard Jasmine scream in pain. "What!?" He shouted with pure concern in his voice. When he returned to the tree she wasn't there, but there was blood._

_"JACK FROST!" A man's voice called out, filled with malice. Jack looked down to the ground and saw Jasmine clutching her stomach and next to her body a bald man with forest green eyes and pants looked up at him holding a spear. "Get down here you bastard!"_

_I noticed immediately that Jack clutched his staff as he tried to steady his breathing. It was one of the ways I taught him how to control his anger. He then flew down to the ground and stood on the other side of Jasmine. "What do you want, Larik?"_

_"I want you to talk to Mother Nature and get her to get rid of this bitch!" Larik shouted as he kicked Jasmine in the stomach, causing Jack's anger to flare completely and his eyes darkened from ice blue to sapphire blue. He slammed the crook of his staff into Larik's stomach, pushing him back with a point blank electrical ice blast._

_"Don't touch her!" Jack growled in a tone that sent chills down my spine. I had never heard him that angry before, and I had spent more time with him than anyone._

_"What does it matter to you what I do to the bitch? Oh, that's right...YOU'RE the one that made Mother Nature take away my position and give it to HER!" Larik held his stomach that actually had frostbite bruises on it and he winced as he moved._

_"I don't make Mother Nature do anything! She had every good reason to take away your position! You tried to KILL ME! That was fifteen years before Jasmine became the General of Spring!"_

_"YOU deserve to be DEAD! You're season does nothing but kill, make ill, freeze, and destroy everything! Your season is the season of death!"_

_"Why attack her to get to me?"_

_"Because obviously you care for her, and obviously you HAD to have SOME pull with Mother Nature to get her to be General of Spring! So, which one's your little whore?"_

_"My what!?" Jack growled out as the frost started to creep more on his staff._

_"You heard me. You're married to the Snow Queen, but apparently that's not enough for-" Jack didn't give him a chance as he shot him with several ice blasts to his body, knocking him on his backside._

_"You will NOT talk about them that way!"_

_Larik quickly stood to his feet, as blood dripped from his side, and he commanded thorny vines to wrap around Jasmine's body, cutting her more, and causing her to cry out in pain even further. Jack looked back at Jasmine with pure worry and panic in his eyes before he turned to glare at Larik. "You will regret hurting my daughter!" Jack roared before attacking Larik more._

_"D-Daughter!? She's the Snow Queen's daughter!? I thought she would've been a winter spirit!"_

_"What would that matter to an ingrate like you!?"_ _Just as Jack was about to attack once more, Mother Nature came threw a portal and wrapped Larik in thorns similar to his own, but these were purple and much more violent looking. Suddenly, Jasmine was released and gasping for breath. Jack looked around and realized that in his anger, he caused a blizzard. "N-No..." He stuttered out and his eyes went from sapphire blue to their normal icy hue as he turned to Mother Nature. "I...I didn't mean to..."_

_"I know, Jack. What do you want me to do with Jasmine?"_

_"Take her back to my home and take her to her room please. I'll clear the blizzard as fast as I can before Bunny arrives. What are those thorns by the way?"_

_"Their sapping away his powers. I'm going to turn him mortal with no memories of the spirit world." Mother Nature summoned a golden portal and made it sink onto Jasmine, making her disappear. "There, she's in her room. Good luck, Jack."_

_"Thank you!" Before he could see her go through her own portal, he flew up into the air and started taking control of the blizzard. "A little snow is fun and fine, but a blizzard!? How could I be so STUPID! Sandy's been telling me to control my emotions! Why can't I get it right!?"_

_"What the...!?"_

_"Oh no..." Jack groaned out in defeat as he finally stopped the blizzard._

_"YOU!" Bunny growled in a fierce tone. "Get down here and face me ya HEARTLESS BASTARD!"_

_Jack nodded his head and flew down to the ground, landing in the snow in front of Bunny. "Bunny, I can explain."_

_"SAVE IT!" He shouted as he swiped at Jack's cheek, creating three gash marks._

_"B-Bunny!" Jack stuttered out as he tried to avoid the other hits. "I-I hadn't meant to!"_

_"LIKE I'LL BELIEVE THAT!?" He swiped at Jack's stomach and tore the White T-Shirt he was wearing, quickly staining it with blood. "You SELFISH, HORRIBLE, ARROGANT...MONSTER!" With each word, Bunny swiped at Jack, drawing blood, and though he tried, Jack couldn't dodge or block in time. When Bunny stopped swiping at him Jack's arms were drenched in blood, his shirt was hanging by threads, and he was having trouble breathing._

_"B-Bunny..." Jack rasped out._

_"Still standing? Do you have ANY idea what I do!?"_

_"You...protect...children's...hopes." Jack fell to his knees. "Bunny...General...of Spring...was attacked..."_

_"By you no doubt! You're a walking talking storm of trouble! You destroy everythin' ya touch! You're a damn monster! Stay the hell away from my holiday! Stay away from the children! Knowin' you, ya would probably just kill them with your ice and snow! Ya bloody nuisance! Ya ruined Easter here!"_

Right as Bunny jumped down the hole Jack collapsed the rest of the way into the snow, staining it a crimson red, but before the memory could continue, Tooth paused the memory, and glared daggers at Bunny. However, the glare was softened into shock when we all saw Bunny wrapping his arms around himself, crouching low and trembling with tears falling to the floor. Jack rushed forward and tackled Bunny onto his back. Once Bunny tried to get up, Jack hugged him. "Bunny..."

"Don't, Jack! Don't! I...I said that you attacked her! I...I n-nearly k-killed ya! I tore ya to shreds! I didn't let ya explain! I called ya a monster! I..."

"I forgive you."

With a proud smile I watched as Bunny's eyes widened and noticed how his tears started falling faster just before he wrapped his arms around Jack. "H-How!?"

"Because, I know that if you knew what really happened, you wouldn't have reacted that way. If you knew who I really was to the General of Spring, you would've still been angry, but you wouldn't have clawed me up. You just didn't know, and I can't fault you for not knowing."

Bunny pulled away from the hug and rubbed at his tear stained fur. "ARH! I feel like a damn pansy!" Bunny let out a sniffle as he glanced up at Jack. "So...Sandy healed ya up?"

"Yeah, but...well...I'm sure the memory will explain that. What did Jasmine tell you?"

"That there was a fight between you and the ex-General of Winter and she got caught in the middle, but that she didn't blame ya any."

"Funny, that's not what I told her to say." Jack chuckled and stood to his feet before holding out his hand to pull Bunny up to do the same.

"Curious as to what ya wanted her to say...and thank ya, Jacky."

"It's in the past Bunny...are ya still mad about it?"

"Not nearly as much as I am at myself, and I'm sorry, mate, but that's not somethin' ya can fix with your forgiving me. That's somethin' I have to fix on my own."

"I understand." He nodded.

"Bah, I still feel like a pansy...and a right fool."

"Fine by me as long as you continue to treat my daughter like you have been."

"Speakin' of which...do your kids know you're a Guardian?"

"Ah...no...they don't." He answered and my eyes widened.

 _"YOU DIDN'T TELL THEM!?"_  I shouted with my symbols but to Jack, who was now rubbing at his ears, it was extremely loud.

"Ow, first of, and secondly, no...I didn't tell them. I hadn't gotten around to it, and I didn't know how they would react."

 _"We're telling them after this."_  I told him with a strict tone that no one else could hear, which was annoying, because my symbols were showing as calm.

"Right...got it."

"Maybe we can bring them to the pole?" North questioned.

"Oh! They would love that! They've always wanted to see what the inside looks like." Jack beamed brilliantly as he stepped back to my side once again while Bunny stepped next to Tooth. "But first...let's get through my memories."

"Right!" Tooth answered and she resumed the memory.

_The memory blinked, indicating time passed, but it was quite obvious with how dark it suddenly got. I flew over the town they were in when I looked down and saw Jack in the snow. "Jack?" I questioned and lowered my cloud, but when he didn't answer, my eyes widened. "Jack, answer me." Still nothing, so I lowered my cloud some more and noticed all of the blood. "JACK!" I shouted and immediately flew down to him. I jumped off my dream cloud and turned him over. When I saw the gashes I gasped as tears instantly fell from my eyes. "Jack..." I whispered out as I summoned a portal and conjured a dream cloud beneath him. When we went through the portal, Mother Nature was heading for the door, and her eyes widened in shock as she clasped her hands to her mouth when she saw me walk through with Jack. I lifted him off of the dream cloud and into my arms as I rushed up to his room._

_"Uncle! What happened!?"_

_"I don't know, but he has claw marks everywhere! He's not breathing, and he's not responding to my voice!"_

_"Y-You don't think he's..."_

_"Please, Emily..." I croaked out as more tears fell from my eyes after I nearly knocked down Jack's door with my magic. "I beg you...don't finish that sentence." I set him on the bed, and shook my head while trying to blink the tears away. "I-I have to g-get his clothes off." I reached for him, but my hands were shaking._

_"Let me." Mother Nature whispered as she moved to remove Jack's shirt and pants, because there was also a vertical scratch on his right thigh. Once he was in only his boxers she moved the right side of his boxers up just enough to where we could see the damage on his thigh. "It would've had to be an incredibly powerful spirit to hurt Jack like this."_

_In the gash on his ribs, my eyes got sight of a tuft of fur stuck in it and I stepped forward to look at it. "O-Or...he didn't fight back." I stuttered out. "Can you tell me which spirit this fur belongs to?"_

_She nodded her head and hovered her hand over it, causing the fur to glow gold for a brief moment, and then in the form of golden sparkles similar to my sand, but wasn't, Bunny's image appeared and I immediately threw the fur into the trash. "It was Bunny who did this to him." Mother Nature whispered out in pure shock._

_"I-Is he breathing yet?" I asked her carefully as I made my way back to Jack's bed where he laid completely still._

_Right at my words, Jasmine walked in wearing a yellow sun dress and her hair was up in a pony tail. "M-Mother Nature healed me a while ago...when I stepped out of the hallway...I saw you with Daddy in your arms...wh-what happened?"_

_"W-We um..." I started weakly as I looked at Jack's shredded body. "...we're not sure what happened, but...apparently...Jack got into a physical fight with Bunny. It seems...it seems that Bunny clawed him...everywhere."_

_"Th-That's not...but...I mean...I knew they didn't get along, but..."_

_"It's true." Mother Nature answered with an apologetic expression. "Bunny's fur was in one of the wounds, and when I came to get you...Jack didn't look like this. He was perfectly fine. The only other spirit that would've been there..."_

_"Would've been...Bunny." Jasmine gasped and rushed to Jack. Mother Nature got out of the way to let her onto the bed. "Daddy...wake up." She requested as she shook his shoulders. "Pl-Please, Daddy...wake up."_

_"He...He's not breathing." I told her and the look of horror that crossed her face ached at not just my heart, but everyone watching the memory._

_"Th-There's got to be something you can do!" She looked at me with pleading eyes. "M-Maybe...maybe if you heal his wounds...he'll wake up. Maybe his body is just...I don't know...shutting down to protect itself."_

_"That's...possible." Mother Nature breathed out. "I think you should try, Uncle."_

_I nodded my head and started healing the gash on his thigh, and to my relief it healed. Slowly, but it healed. I was able to finish with his thigh in ten minutes which is eight minutes longer than usual, but it was still better than nothing. I then worked on the gashes on his stomach, and thankfully the memory blinked to where I was done with all of his wounds, because it took two hours to do all of his injuries. "Daddy?" Jasmine tried again, and this time Jack gasped for air. "DADDY!" She shouted as she wrapped her arm around him._

_"Oh!" He groaned out with a broken voice as he wrapped a shaking and weak arm around her. "A-Are you alright, Jasmine?"_

_"Am I alright!? Daddy, you were all clawed up...wh-who did that to you?"_

_"B-Bunny did it."_

_"I...I didn't want to believe it..."_

_Jack started petting her hair as she started to cry on his chest. "Shh...it's okay."_

_"No it's not!" She whimpered out. "I...he...he hurt you!"_

_"He didn't know, Jasmine. He DOESN'T know who I am to you, and he didn't know I had defended you. If he had...I think...I think I would be a bit better than this. I may be healed...but I'm a bit sore."_

_"And you will be for a long while." I told him, letting out a frustrated breath. "You'll be down for at least two weeks. Moving will be difficult for you."_

_"I can stay here to help him while you deliver dreams." Mother Nature offered._

_"I wouldn't mind, but someone's gonna have to tell Grace."_

_"I'll tell Mother." Jasmine sighed out as she got off of Jack's chest._

_"Thank you, Jasmine, but what are you gonna do...about...Bunny?"_

_"I...I dunno. He...He hurt you badly. You...you weren't breathing."_

_"Do me a favor, Jasmine...don't fault him. Don't be angry with him. Don't resent him. Don't look back on the wounds he caused me. If he asks what happened...tell him that I accept full responsibility of the blizzard and the fight between us."_

_"I...I'll tell him something."_

_"Fine, just...don't fault him. What he saw...and his lack of knowledge of the situation...it really looked like I was creating a blizzard on Easter Sunday, and he PROTECTS children. The blizzard I created...because I couldn't control my emotions...it was my fault entirely."_

_"But...it WASN'T! You were protecting me!"_

_"But he doesn't know that! Please...Jasmine..."_

_"Alright, I won't fault him...or be mad at him...but when you're better...you owe me my favorite..."_

_"Your favorite dinner. I know. I'll cook the lasagna when I'm better, okay?"_

_"You better!"_

_"You...are...gonna help."_

_"I'd love to!"_

_"Good."_

_Jack let out a yawn and in the middle of it, he stopped and winced in pain. "Ow..." He brought a hand up to the side of Jasmine's face and gave her a weak smile. "You're...okay now...right?"_

_"Yes." She sighed out as she rolled her eyes. "I'm okay now, and you're as stubborn as ever."_

_"Well...at least there's that." He chuckled weakly as he let his hand fall. "I'm so tired."_

_"We'll leave you to rest." I told him and Mother Nature nodded, conjuring a portal._

_"Jasmine, you go on ahead. I'll meet up with you." Jasmine nodded and walked through, causing the portal to disappear and I walked out into the hallway with Mother Nature._

"Wait...why is it showing just the two of you?" Jack questioned with a tilt of his head.

"Because, it involves you." Tooth answered.

_"Uncle..." Mother Nature sighed out when the door closed behind us._

_"Don't, Emily." I spat with a furious tone._

_"He's your friend." She stated softly._

_I turned to Jack's door and quickly placed a sand wall on it, making it deaf to all sounds outside of his room, before turning to face her. "And Jack is my SON!"_

_"Yes, but NO ONE else knows that. You haven't told the Guardians, and the only other spirits that know he's your son are me, his wife, and his three kids! So basically...his family!"_

_"I..." I shook my head as my fury was replaced with frustration. "...he...when Jack asked me about the Father thing all those years ago...I was beyond happy. I couldn't move or react, I've told you this. I...we're not related by blood, but...that doesn't matter to me. He's my son through and through. He even has some of my traits! I just...Emily, I NEVER thought I would have children. I wasn't even hoping for it anymore, but then Jack...when he asked what he asked...I was crushed with the purest Hope I had ever felt in my entire life...and then the Guardian of Hope...nearly KILLED the one person in the world that gave me that Hope. Aster is supposed to be my friend...and for him to hurt Jack to such a degree..."_

_"Jack is right though...he DOESN'T know. If he did...he probably would've just been mad."_

_"But don't you see? That's the worst part! It would take him KNOWING just for him to NOT treat Jack like that!" At my outburst, I heard a sound I shouldn't have heard._

_A portal was opening in front of me, and Jasmine came through with her mother. "Sorry...she didn't give me a choice."_

_"Who are you!?" Grace growled low. "And where is my husband!?"_

_"Jasmine, we'll talk about this later." I told her while trying to calm my anger, she looked guilty enough, so I shook my head and was about to tell her it was fine, but then I felt a hand slap my face._

_"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY DAUGHTER LIKE THAT! Now, you WILL tell me where my husband is!"_

_"GRACE FROST!" Mother Nature bellowed, causing an echo to resound in my entire Domain._

_"M-Mother N-Nature!?"_

_"You MAY want to show this man some more respect than that, considering who he really is!"_

_"Wh-What? WHY!? Jasmine told me that Jack was attacked and that he was resting in Sandy's Domain, I didn't want to hear her explanations so I grabbed her arm and forced her to open the portal."_

_"You should be ashamed of yourself, using your daughter in such a way!"_

_"I...I am...really, I am." She turned to face Jasmine who smiled at her and nodded her head, signaling that she forgave her. At that, Grace let out a relieved sigh before turning back to face me with her rage returning in her eyes. "...but Jack got attacked and she said that he wasn't breathing...and that was all I needed to hear. NOW, where is he and who is this man!?"_

_"I'm his Father." I crossed my arms as I stood my ground after healing the slap she gave me._

_"HA! Don't make me laugh! I've met the man and-"_

_I rolled my eyes, interrupting her as I held a hand out and made a sand version of me appear in the palm of my hand. "I'm the Sandman! I only look like this in the Domain. It was why no one was allowed here but Jack, Mother Nature, and his children. It's annoying and difficult to explain, but I'm the Sandman. Jack is currently resting. He's healed, and if you had let Jasmine explain, perhaps you would've figured that out!" I noticed how shocked she became so I lowered my hand, making the sand image of me disappear and I let out a frustrated sigh._

_"What's...going on...out here...?" Jack's raspy voice came from behind, causing me to immediately move to him and hold him up._

_"Easy, Jack. You're still going to be sore...and I thought I put a sound spell on your door!"_

_"I...took...it off."_

_"And you're going to be explaining that one to me later, but you shouldn't be up."_

_"J-Jack?" Grace questioned with wide eyes._

_"GRACE!?" He shouted, but then started coughing from the sudden raise in volume in his voice._

_"I-Is this really Sandy?"_

_"Y-Yes this is really my Father, Sandy. What are you doing here, Grace?"_

_"I...I forced Jasmine to take me here to see you...I...I'm so sorry, Sandy!"_

_Jack looked up at my face and his eyes widened. "You...you slapped my Father?"_

_"I...he...well...I'm sorry! I have no excuse, I should've listened."_

_Another portal sounded and Ronan came through with Seamus. Ronan has his maple brown hair combed back and it was nearly touching his shoulder, his amber eyes were wide when they looked upon his mother, and he was wearing a brown dress shirt with black pants and black boots. Seamus had his ginger hair neatly cut to where his hair was still hanging down slightly, but just enough to where he could tuck it behind his ears rather than comb it back. His emerald green eyes shined with confusion and concern as they darted back in forth between me, Jack, and Grace. He was wearing a plain forest green T-Shirt, dark blue jeans, and was barefoot. Both were muscular and built and both were at the same physical age as their older sister, and stopped aging at twenty. "Wh-Why is Mom in Grandfather's Domain?" Ronan questioned carefully._

_"And is Father okay?" Seamus asked._

"THAT'S THE LEPRECHAUN!?" Tooth gaped and a furious blush appeared on her face faster than she flies. She quickly paused the memory and turned to face Jack.

 _'Well, it seems like her crush on you ended abruptly, Jack.'_ My eyes widened with amusement while a wide smirk made it's home on my face.

 _'It seems so!'_  He chuckled lightly and nodded his head. "Yes, that's my son. The Leprechaun and the other one is the Groundhog. Have you not seen him?"

"W-Well...remember I haven't been out in the field for four hundred and forty years give or take. That is...before Easter, but..."

"Tooth...do ya have a crush on the Leprechaun?" Bunny asked with an amused look of his own.

"W-Well, I mean...um...m-maybe? He um...he isn't..."

"No, Tooth, he's not married and Cupid already told me who his true love is."

"Oh...she must be a lucky girl then..." She stopped flying as a saddened look appeared on her face.

 _'Oh my...Love at First Sight indeed!'_  I told Jack as I remembered what he told me Cupid had said about Seamus.

 _'Yes, TRUE LOVE at First Sight to be exact.'_  He grinned and nodded his head. "Yes, she is. Although, I can't imagine why she's wearing a sad expression. She is one lucky Tooth Fairy." He smirked at her, but when her eyes shot up to meet his he couldn't help the slight chuckle that left his lips.

"M-Me!?"

"Yes, you." He grinned. "Seamus knows as well, but he was never going to bother you at your palace and never asked Sandy. He wanted to meet you for himself whenever the time was right, so technically, he's waiting for you. That's one of the reasons I asked you 'How long is a long time?' when we were doing the tooth race."

"O-Oh!" She stuttered out with wide eyes. "H-He's really waiting for me?"

"Yes." Jack nodded his head with a wide toothy smile.

"W-Well then..."

"You want to continue the memory?" Jack questioned with a small smirk.

"Y-Yeah." She nodded her head frantically as she resumed the memory.

_"I'm fine...Seamus."_

_"Right, because having to lean on Grandfather DEFINITELY means you're okay." He rolled his eyes as he slid his hands in his pockets, keeping his thumbs out._

_"F-Father? What happened?" Ronan questioned with worried eyes._

_"Well, since everyone's here, might as well speak in my room. Father...can ya help me?"_

_"Of course." I nodded and helped him back into the room until he was able to sit on his bed comfortably._

_"Alright..." Jack started once everyone else made it into his room. Grace was looking around in awe, Seamus came to stand by Jack's bed immediately, Ronan stayed next to Mother Nature, and Jasmine stayed next to Grace. "...Jasmine was attacked by the ex-General of Spring, and I beat him up pretty good. To my understanding, Mother Nature took away his life as a spirit and made him mortal with no memories of the spirit world, but when she took Jasmine back here to heal her, I was attacked by Bunny."_

_"BUNNY attacked you?" Seamus blinked in surprise._

_"Yeah, I kinda ruined Easter by...letting my emotions take...control while I was fighting the...bastard that hurt Jasmine. I was leaving when...I heard her cry out and...that's when I fought with him...after that, Bunny came out...and he saw me in the middle of...the blizzard. I stopped it, but...considering he doesn't know what...any of you are to me...and me and him...haven't exactly gotten along...he thought I was doing it...on purpose and he clawed me...up pretty good. I woke up and suddenly...had an armful of a crying daughter, which told me I was in...bad shape, but Sandy fixed me up. I'm just sore all over."_

_"You're r-really okay?" Ronan questioned as he inched a bit closer._

_"Yeah, I'm okay. Just sore." Jack gave Ronan a reassuring smile._

_"It's alright, Ronan." Seamus nodded at his twin brother, who seemed to relax a bit further at his words. "So...did you fight Bunny?"_

_"No. I didn't. I tried to explain, but...well...it didn't go well."_

_"What do you want me to do?" Seamus questioned with remorseful eyes as he sat next to Jack on the bed._

_"Nothing."_

_"Nothing!?" He blinked in shock as he scooted closer to Jack._

_"That's right, Seamus. I want you to do nothing. It was my fault. I should've controlled my emotions better, and..." There was a slight smirk as he turned to face me with a knowing look in his eyes. "...I have to_ _learn to think of others' feelings and how some situations may be misinterpreted."_

_I shook my head as a weak laugh escaped. "What does Father mean by that, Grandfather?" Seamus questioned with curiosity in his eyes._

_"It was a long time ago." Jack breathed out. "Bunny and I NEVER got along...and to him...I'm always messing up...his holiday."_

_"B-But...that's not true!" Seamus shook his head as he furrowed his brow._

_"YOU know that...you ALL know that, but he doesn't...so what he saw...well, I can't blame him, and I don't want ANY of you blaming him."_

_"S-So what...I'm supposed to pretend that my best friend DIDN'T tear my Father to shreds, making him bed ridden!?"_

_"Seamus..." Jack sighed out, but Seamus was fired up._

_"NO!" He shouted as he jumped up from the bed with frustration and irritation written on his face. "I mean...he...I...you're my Father! He...you're good! You're good, kind, patient, mischievous, rebellious, devoted, and...you're an amazing Father! You're my Father! He..."_

_"Seamus..." Ronan started as he made his way to Seamus. He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile. "You know Father is right."_

_"I..." Tears slowly fell from Seamus' eyes before he rested his forehead on Ronan's shoulder._

_"I know." Ronan sighed out. "But...Bunny doesn't know about us. He doesn't know Father, he doesn't know about Mother, he doesn't know about Grandfather, and Father is asking us to do something." Ronan hesitantly pushed Seamus away so he could wipe away his twin's tears and look him in the eyes. "You know he hardly ever asks us to do anything, and when he does..."_

_"...it's extremely important." Seamus nodded as he looked back at Jack. "But Bunny..."_

_"...Didn't know, and still doesn't." Jack stated as calmly as he could as he wore an extremely proud expression. "He's still your best friend, Seamus. He just doesn't know who your Father is."_

_"Th-Then I'll tell him." He replied as he sat back down on the bed._

_"No you won't." Jack sighed out with a shake of his head._

_"Why!?" Jasmine cried out._

_"Because, that would flip his world upside down, and he's already been through enough because of me. Besides, if he's REALLY meant to know...he'll eventually find out. Please...none of you treat him any differently. It's just me he has a problem with, and I'm okay with that."_

_"Fine." Seamus sighed out. "I'll try, but if he hurts you again..."_

_"...the answer will be the same, Seamus." Jack gave him a serious expression, which caused Seamus' shoulders to sag in defeat._

_"Alright...I understand. Can we um...can we at least help you get better?"_

_"I would like that very much." The memory started to shift, but Tooth stopped it._

"Hey, Jack...if your children don't know you're a Guardian..." She started with an amused expression. "...does that mean they don't know you're friends with Bunny?"

"That...I never told them that I became friends with Bunny. I hadn't seen them much since the battle with Pitch. Jasmine and Seamus have been helping Bunny and Ronan has been training in combat with Mother Nature. Bunny, did you tell them?"

"No." He shook his head before looking at me. "Did you, Sandy?"

"Nope. This should be interesting."

"Oh, I'm already planning on how to tell them." Jack jumped up and down with childish delight. "Alright, let's go to the next memory."


	7. Chapter 7

_The memory settled on the Guardian crystal coming out of the floor. "Uh, guys...you know what this means?" Tooth questioned with a look of awe in her eyes._

_"He is choosing a new Guardian!" North breathed out with wonder lacing his tone._

_"WHAT!? Why!?" Bunny questioned with a confused expression._

_"Must be big deal. Manny thinks we need help." North answered._

_"Since when do WE need help!?" Bunny asked with amused look of disbelief._

_"Oh! I wonder who it's gonna be!" Tooth squealed, and I held up a four leaf clover._

_"Perhaps the Leprechaun!" I said with wide eyes, but they couldn't hear the hopeful tone in my voice._

_"Maybe the Leprechaun?"_ _Tooth questioned with a tilt of her head._

_"Please not the Groundhog! Please not the Groundhog!" Bunny kept chanting and next to me, Jack was doubled over laughing._

Tooth paused the memory, and Jack laughed harder. "Oh my...! The two of you were talking about my sons! Oh!" Once he started to calm down he looked at me as he wiped away his mirthful tears. "Just how amusing was that for you?"

 _"More than you can imagine."_  I chuckled lightly as I shook my head.  _"I was kind of hoping it would be one of your boys, but then Bunny said what he said and I had to hold back my amusement otherwise he would ask why I looked so amused."_

"Alright, alright..." Bunny rolled his eyes. "...ugh...this ain't gonna be fun for me."

"No...I suspect it won't be fun for many of us." North sighed and placed a gentle hand on Tooth's shoulder. She nodded and resumed the memory.

_As the image slowly appeared from the crystal, North wiggled his fingers in anticipation for our new Guardian, but when Jack appeared his hands dropped and my eyes widened in shock. "Jack Frost."_

_'JACK FROST!?' I shouted internally without any symbols. 'MY Jack!?'_

_"I take it back...the Groundhog's fine." Bunny held up his paws as his ears went back slightly._

_Tooth was floating in the air looking smitten as could be, but she quickly composed her self and gave a shy smile. "I mean...as long as he...protects the children. Right?"_

_"JACK FROST!?" Bunny shouted. "He doesn't CARE about children! All he does is freeze water pipes and mess with my egg hunts! He's an irresponsible! Selfish!"_

_"Guardian." North finished for him with a nod of his head._

_"Jack Frost is MANY things, but he is NOT a Guardian!"_

"Strewth...and I said ya didn't care about children...not knowin' ya had three of your own. One bein' my best friend and the other bein' my girlfriend."

"It's alright." Jack told him. "Let's just watch. Tooth hasn't paused it."

_Jack tapped something with his staff with a childish chuckle as he froze water coming out of a fountain that a kid got his tongue stuck to, and he continued to spread frost and mischief throughout the city he was in until he spun around a spire letting out a joyful laugh. "Oh! Now that...that was fun! Hey! Wind!" The wind rose joyfully with the snow from the ground as it whispered to Jack, "What next Jack?"_

_"Take me home!"_

_As he flew through the air, he twirled and spun gracefully with my staff while he whooped and hollered. When he made it to Burgess, he dove down from the sky backwards with a delighted smile on his face as he shouted, "SNOW DAY!" While he started to bob and weave through traffic, he gracefully spun and bounced off of cars and buildings, frosting everything as he flew. Soon, he made it to the same pond where I placed his gate and skated across it until he made it to Jamie, the wind behind him accidentally knocking the book out of Jamie's hands._

_"Huh, that looks interesting...good book?"_

_"SNOW DAY!" Claude exclaimed while jumping up and down._

_"You're welcome." Jack told them confidentially, and I couldn't help but smile at the memory._

_We watched as the kids talked back and forth about finding the eggs, their belief in the Easter Bunny, and then we heard Jamie ask in an irritated manner, "Who's Jack Frost?"_

_"No one, Honey." His mother told him in a dismissive tone. "It's just an expression."_

_"Hey!" Jack shouted just before jumping down from the fence. He grabbed some snow, made a snow ball, and gave it a sly look that mimicked my own at times. "Who's Jack Frost?" He then blew some magic onto it just before throwing it and hitting Jamie in the back of the head._

_"Wh-" He started out irritated, but as the blue sparkles made their way across his face, he immediately started lightening up and smiling. "Alright! Who threw that!?" He laughed out._

_"Well..." Jack drawled out as he flew over to him. "It wasn't big foot, kiddo." He smiled at him, and they immediately started their snowball fight. At some point in the middle of it Jack ran across the snow, touching it with his staff. "Alright, who needs ammo?" He asked as he made snowballs on the ground._

_As they continued to throw snowballs one of the kids threw a snowball at Cupcake. "Crud! I hit cupcake!"_

_"You hit Cupcake?"_

_"She hit Cupcake..."_

_I watched with an impressed look on my face as he balanced on his staff with a sly smile as he threw another, more magical, snowball at her. "Did you throw that?" One of the kids asked._

_"No."_

_"It wasn't me!"_

_Once the magic started to take hold, Jack's grin grew mischievously. Suddenly she started chasing the kids with the snowman head in her hand. As she chased them, Jack apparently had a better idea and created a spreading patch of ice underneath Jamie, causing the boy to fall onto his sled, going for a magic sled ride."Whoa! Don't worry, kid, I gotcha. Hold on! It's gonna be alright!" As they continued, the path was starting to end quickly. However, Jack was always a quick thinker, so when he conjured more ice, I wasn't surprised. What I was surprised with was the fact that this didn't get Jamie to believe in him. "Keep up with me, kid! Take a left!"_

_"Hey, slow down!" We heard someone shout._

_"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Jamie started saying repeatedly as they went in and out of traffic._

_"Is that Jamie Bennett?" A woman's voice called. 'Really? That's all you can say when you see a kid on a sled moving in and out of traffic with ice mysteriously being conjured in front of him!? Honestly...' Jack rolled his eyes as he continued to keep up with Jamie._

_"Hey watch it!" Someone shouted, but Jack obviously didn't care._

_"There you go!" Jack told him._

_"No no!" He started saying again, but Jack seemed to be looking for a safe place for him to land. "No no!" He shouted with a bit more panic than the previous times._

_When Jack looked up, he saw the bulldozer and his eyes widened. Whoa!" He shouted as he slammed his feet down with his staff, creating a turn and a ramp for Jamie._

_"Whoa!" Jamie cheered as he flew in the air just before landing in the snow bank in front of the statue. The children started coming forward, expressing their concerns for Jamie, but he quickly shot up with pure excitement on his face. "Whoa ho-oh! Did you guys see that? It was amazing! I slid...I did a jump! And...and I slid under-"_

_"Whoops." Jack cringed with a guilty smile as a pink couch ran into Jamie, knocking the boy back into the snow._

_"Cool, a tooth!"_

_"Dude! That means cash!"_

_"Ah no..." Jack groaned out. 'Seriously!? After all that...NOTHING!?' Jack stared at Jamie with a look of disbelief. "_ _No..."_

_"I gotta put this under my pillow!"_

_"Oh wait a minute, come on! Hold on, hold on! What about all the fun we just had? That wasn't the Tooth Fairy, that was me! What does a guy have to do to get a little attention around here?" He asked as he flew in front of them, but then they walked through him, causing him to shudder slightly and quickly grow depressed, which then caused it to snow some more._

_The memory blinked and it showed Jack watching Jamie tell Sophie about how he lost his tooth and his mother telling him he had to go to sleep or the Tooth Fairy wouldn't come, and of course, he said he would be able to do it. After a few more seconds the window started to frost. Jack groaned lightly as he started walking on top of Jamie's roof. He looked up at the moon and let out a saddened sigh while clutching to his staff. "If there's something I'm doing wrong...couldn't you just tell me what it is? Because I've tried EVERYTHING, and NO ONE ever SEES me!" With no answer he let out a short breath and continued. "YOU put me here! The LEAST you could do is tell me...tell me why!" Once again there was no answer. Jack rolled his eyes as he let out a sigh and floated over to a telephone line wire and started walking along it._

_"Jack?" I asked him carefully as I sent a sand tendril in front of him briefly catching his attention. "I can't come down there right now, but here..."_

_He looked up at me as he let down his hood with a grateful smile. "Right on time, Sandman!" He breathed out as he ran along the telephone wire. He jumped up and touched the sand, causing the dolphins to swim and jump around him. 'Just like the dolphins in the Domain!' He thought as he jumped up and down with a silent but giddy laugh. After that, he slowly watched as the sand drifted away, and something got his attention as it ran by with incredible speed. "Whoa!" He shouted, and immediately got ready to attack._

_Once he got into an alleyway, he carefully stepped as quietly as he could, but then he heard a noise behind him. He swung around and pointed his staff at the shadow leaning against the wall. "Hello, mate..." It called out as it spun something in it's hand. "...been a long time. Blizzard of '68 I believe. Easter Sunday wasn't it?"_

_"Bunny!" He called out as he leaned up against the staff when Bunny came out of the shadows. "You're not still mad about that...are ya?" He asked carefully yet playfully._

_"Yes!" He answered as he leaned forward, but then his face evened out into a smirk. "But this is about something else...fellas?"_

_Suddenly, Jack was lifted up by two yeti and stuffed inside one of North's magical Christmas sacks. "Magic portal?" One of the yeti gestured for Bunny to go with them, but we all knew how Bunny felt about the portals._

_"Me?" He let out a wry chuckle. "Not on your nelly. See ya back at the pole!"_

_The scene memory blinked and Jack was holding his staff with a small smirk. "I must've done something really bad to get you four together. Am I on the Naughty list?"_

_"Ha! ON Naughty list? You hold record! But! No matter, we overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."_

_"How come?" He questioned with a look of suspicion while his smirk stayed on his face._

_"Ah, good question." Bunny drawled out in visible irritation._

_"How come? I tell you how come! Because now, you are Guardian!" At North's words, I watched as the yetis and elves started to surround Jack with music and fire._

_'He's a Guardian! But...maybe this is a bit much...' I thought to myself, but knew that Jack could hear._

_Quickly growing more and more upset by the sounds and closeness, Jack slammed down his staff, creating a frosted floor._ _"What makes you think I wanna be a Guardian?"_

_North boomed out a laugh as if Jack was joking, but it was painfully clear to me he really wasn't. It was a genuine question. "Of course you do. Music!"_

_"No music!" He insisted as he motioned with his hands for the elves to stop before they start. "This is all very flattering, but, uh... You don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines. And I'm...snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian."_

_"Ha! That's exactly what I said!" Bunny boasted._

_'Jack, you have the heart of one.' I tried to tell him silently as I interlocked my hands together, giving him a soft smile._

_"Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do." Tooth told him as she pointed a hand at the globe. "Each of those lights is a child..."_

_"A child who believes. And good or bad, Naughty or Nice, we protect them."_

_"Ah...ah..." Jack complained as Tooth started looking in his mouth again, and I couldn't hold in the slight snort of laughter._

_"Tooth, fingers out of mouth." North practically sighed out._

_"Oh, sorry! They're beautiful!"_

_"Okay no more wishy washy, Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"_

_"You mean th-the Boogeyman?" Jack chuckled out in disbelief, dismissing North's words._

_"Yes! When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well!" He told Jack as he gestured to the globe._

_"All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!" I watched as Jack waved a hand at them while walking away. 'Now where's the door? I've tried to come in every way, but the front door.'_

_"Pick?" North asked in disbelief and mild shock. "You think we pick!? No! You were chosen! Like we were all chosen! By Man in Moon."_

_"What?" Jack whispered out as he turned to face us again._

_"Last night, Jack, he chose you." Tooth told him with a pleading look._

_"Maybe." Bunny shrugged._

_"Man in the Moon, he, uh… he talks to you?" He whispered out in a stunned and hurt voice as he looked to me with hurt eyes._

_'I'm sorry, Jack' I told him with slightly guilty eyes of my own._

_"You see, you cannot say no. It is Destiny." North tried to sound reassuring, but Jack and I both knew that was about to go the exact opposite._

_"W-Why, why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" He asked just before running a frustrated hand through his hair. "After 300 years, this is his answer? To spend eternity like you guys, cooped up in some...some hideout, thinking of...of new ways to bribe kids? No, no, that's not for me!" Jack shouted at the moon before quickly turning to face us. "No offense." He looked directly at me and quickly sent a silent, 'I forgive you, Sandy.'_

_"How...how...how is that not offensive? You know what I think, I...I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"_

_'More than you could possibly imagine, Bunny.'_

_"Uh, you ever hear of a snow day?" Jack questioned with an irritated smirk. "I know it's no hard boiled egg, but kids like what I do."_

_"But none of them believe in ya...Do they? Y'see, you're invisible, mate. It's like ya don't even exist."_

_"Bunny! Enough!" Tooth scolded him._

_"No, the kangaroo's right." Jack shot back with a look of agitated mischief._

_"Th...the what? What'd you call me? I am not a kangaroo, mate." He challenged as he got closer._

_"Oh! And this whole time I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?"_

_"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. People believe in me." Jack stood his ground, ready for whatever else Bunny might say._

_'North...go talk to him.' I gestured as I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding._

_"Jack, walk with me." He whispered out with a raised brow. The memory blinked again and North was holding his Russian doll. "This is how you see me, no? Very big...intimidating..." North chuckled lightly as he handed Jack the doll. "...but if you get to know me a little...well, go on."_

_Jack set his staff off to the side, which made me dropped my jaw at the memory, because he was only ever comfortable doing that with me, in Mother Nature's Domain, or at home. He opened the doll and smirked slightly. "You are downright Jolly?"_

_"Ah! But not JUST Jolly!" Jack opened another one with a quirked brow. "I am also mysterious." Jack opened the next one. "And Fearless!" Jack looked up at him slightly as he opened the next one. "And CARING!" When Jack opened the final one, North smiled lightly. "And at my center?" North held his hand out for Jack to drop the small doll into his large hand.  
_

_"There's...a tiny wooden baby." Jack said as he rubbed at his brow after taking the small doll back._

_"Look closer! What do you see?"_

_"Uh...you have big eyes."_

_"YES! Big EYES! VERY big, because they are FULL of Wonder! That is my center! It is what I was born with! Eyes that have always seen the Wonder in EVERYTHING! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air!" We all watched with amazed expressions as North allowed his magic to invisibly roam around the room, lifting the toys, bringing them to life while lighting the trees, and sending a toy flying out of the door that opened by itself. "This Wonder is what I PUT into the WORLD! And what I protect in children. It is what makes me a Guardian. It is my center. What is your's?" North asked as he turned to face Jack with a serious and concerned expression._

_Jack looked at the doll for a moment with a curious expression before letting out a soft sigh. "I don't know." He answered sadly, and my heart ached slightly at that, because his eyes looked hopeful, but they also seemed a bit distant. As North covered Jack's fingers, so that Jack was holding the doll, signalling he should hold on to it, they looked out the window and saw Tooth flying past._


	8. Chapter 8

_When the memory shifted and settled, it was when we arrived at Tooth's palace and Bunny, North, and I jumped up to check on Tooth._ _"They...they took my fairies...and the teeth...all of them. Everything is gone...Everything..." She flew down to her knees with pure sorrow in her eyes. Jack smiled at baby tooth who then flew up to Tooth while we stood by her._

_"Oh, thank goodness one of you is alright!"_

_"I have to say..." Pitch's voice called out. "...This is very exciting. The big four, all in one place. I'm a little starstruck." Pitch peered over one of the towers and glared at us with a dark smile. "Did you like my show at the globe, North? Got you all together, didn't I?"_

_"Pitch! You have got 30 seconds to return my fairies!" Tooth flew towards Pitch with anger in her eyes._

_"Or what? You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?"_

_"Why are you doing this?" North asked as he pointed one of his swords up at him._

_"Maybe I want what you have. To be believed in. Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds!"_

_"Maybe that's where you belong!" Bunny spat back._

_"Go suck an egg, rabbit. Hang on. Is that Jack Frost? Since when are you all so chummy?"_

_"We're not." Jack answered as he turned around with his guard up, because Pitch was phasing in and out of the shadows. 'The only one I REALLY get along with is Sandy.'_

_"Oh, good. A neutral party. Then I'm going to ignore you. But you must be used to that by now."_

_"Pitch, you shadow-sneaking ratbag, come here!" Bunny shouted as he raced towards him._

_However, before Bunny could reach him he disappeared but Tooth saw where he was going to go and flew towards Bunny to grab his boomerang, prepared to strike Pitch with it, but then a black horses appeared out of nowhere, ready to attack her. "Whoa! Hey! Easy, girl, easy. Look familiar, Sandman? Took me a while to perfect this little trick..."_

_I looked at my hand and conjured some sand. As realization dawned on me, I glared up at him. 'YOU'VE BEEN STEALING MY DREAMS! You already took my Brother! What more do you want!?'_

_"...Turning dreams into Nightmares. Oh, don't be nervous. It only riles them up more. They smell fear, you know."_

_"What fear? Of you?" Bunny shouted. "No one's been afraid of you, since the dark ages!"_

_"Oh! The dark ages! Everyone frightened. Miserable. Such happy times for me. Oh, the power I wielded! But then the man in the moon chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light. Lifting their hearts and giving them hope! Meanwhile everyone wrote me off as a bad dream. 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no such thing as The Boogeyman!' Well that's all about to change." Tooth's palace started crumbling and the once beautiful golden and pink paint started chipping and disintegrating away. "Oh, look, it's happening already."_

_"What is?" Jack questioned, growing concerned for the Tooth fairy, who now looked completely distraught along with the rest of us._

_"Children are waking up and realizing the tooth fairy never came." Pitch answered darkly. "I mean, such a small thing, but to a child..."_

_"What's going on?"_

_"They...they don't believe in me anymore." Jack turned his concerned yet furious gaze back at Pitch who was incredibly amused. 'What? Why?'_

_"Didn't they tell you, Jack? It's great to be a guardian, but there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect, wonder, hopes, and dreams, it all goes away...and little by little, so do they. No Christmas, or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night..."_

_'No...not Sandy too!' Jack thought as he looked at me._

_"...There will be nothing but fear and darkness...and me. It's your turn not to be believed in!"_

_Bunny was the first to attack with his boomerang, and seeing that he couldn't evade it, Pitch got on his nightmare horse and flew down. He was then followed by North, Bunny, Tooth, and then myself. 'Come on, Jack! Let's get him before he gets away!' Jack leapt from the edge to follow us. Bunny through egg-paint bombs but Pitch easily dodged those._

_We chased him down to the ground of the tooth palace when he disappeared once more. "He's gone..." North stated with disappointed eyes._

_"Okay, alright, I admit it, you were right about Pitch." Bunny said, agitated that Pitch got away._

_We watched as Jack walked towards Tooth. He crouched down next to her while she was holding a canister of teeth with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry about the fairies."_

_"You should've seen them. They put up such a fight"_

_"Why would Pitch take the teeth?"_

_"It's not the teeth he wanted. It's the memories inside them."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack. They hold the most important memories of childhood." Tooth flew towards the mural on the wall and Jack followed, walking on the water, freezing it beneath his feet. "My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember something important, we help them. We had everyone's here. Your's too."_

_"My memories?" Jack looked at her in complete bewilderment. 'I haven't lost any teeth.'_

_"From when you were young...before you became Jack Frost."_

_Jack looked down and slightly shook his head before looking back up at Tooth. "But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost."_

_"Of course you were. We were all someone before we were chosen."_

_"What?" Jack whispered out in shock. "The night at the pond...I just...I assumed I..." He started to become breathless at the mere thought of it, it seemed. "Are you saying...are you saying that I had a life before that, with a home...and a family!?" He raised his voice in excitement at the actual possibility. 'A family before the one I have now...a mortal life...where OTHER mortals could SEE ME! WHERE I WAS SEEN!'_

_Tooth looked at Jack with concerned eyes. "You really don't remember?"_

_"All these years, the answers were right here! If I find my memories, I'll know why I'm here! You have to show me!"_

_"I can't, Jack...Pitch has them..."_

_Jack stopped flying immediately and crouched down on the rock below him, filled with a brand new type of determination I had only seen on him a handful of times. "Then we have to get them back!"_

_She was about to say something when she suddenly felt her feathers fall off. "Oh no! The children! We're to late..."_

_"No!" North forced his swords down. "No! No such thing as too late! Hmm...wait wait wait wait...IDEA!" He shouted with delight as he pointed his sword at Bunny who luckily leaned back quite a ways otherwise he may have lost a nose. Jack leaned against his staff smiling softly at how North reacted. 'I'm really starting to like these guys more and more. More than I expected to.' North continued with his glee at his idea. "We..." He started pointing his sword at Sandy and then waved it between Bunny and I as he continued, "...Will collect the teeth!"_

_"What!?"_

_"We get teeth and children keep believing in you." North explained with pride._

_"We're talking seven continents and millions of kids!"_

_"Bah! Give me break. You know how many toys I deliver in one night?" North asked with a wide grin._

_"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny questioned as he held an equally wide and proud grin._

_"And Jack...if you help us, we will get you your memories."_

_Tooth smiled with complete Joy, Bunny groaned in agitation, and I floated slightly higher holding two thumbs up with a wide smile. 'Jack, you should do it! You may find the answers you've been looking for!'_

_"I'm in!" Jack answered with a wide smile and hopeful eyes._

_The memory blinked to where North was jumping in and out of chimneys._ _"Quickly, quickly!"_

_While North was doing that, Jack was rushing along the rooftops, catching up to Bunny until he was lined up with him as pure joy and fun was painted on his face, causing me to grin at the memory. "Hop to it rabbit! I'm five teeth ahead!"_

_"Oh, yeah right! Look, I'd tell you to stay out of my way, but what's the point, because you wouldn't be able to keep up anyway!"_

_Jack flew alongside Bunny as he was jumping and running across the rooftops and pointed his staff at him accusingly with a look of pure excitement. "Is that a challenge, cottontail?" He questioned. ''You're dating my daughter, and you don't even know it! Let's see what you've got!'_

_"Oh, you don't wanna race a rabbit mate." Bunny smirked at Jack with joy and excitement of his own rising to the surface as he ran faster, zipping across the roof tops._

_"Whoa!"_

_The memory blinked once more, and this time it was Jack and Tooth in Jamie's room. Jack was looking at a picture of the sledding accident that Jamie had drawn._ _"Left central incisor, knocked out in a freak sledding accident. I wonder how that could've happened, Jack." She shot Jack an amused and knowing look._

_Jack let out a fond chuckle that reminded me of the ones he would give his children when they were being adorable or acting a bit ridiculous."Kids, huh?" He asked her with a wide smile. 'I remember when Jasmine and the twins would draw me pictures...'_

_Tooth twirled the coin down her fingers and carefully slid it underneath's Jamie's pillow while still holding the knowing look. "Hmm..." She flew up to look at Jamie still asleep in his bed. "This was always the part I like the most. Seeing the kids."_ _Tooth crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly as she continued to look at Jamie. "Why did I ever stop doing this?"_

_"Hmm...It's a little different up close, huh?" He asked her carefully. 'I'll never get tired of watching my children sleep when they need me in their room. They still need me sometimes, and it really IS different up close...especially when it's my own kids. I'm just glad they haven't seemed to have outgrown me yet.'_

_Tooth looked at Jack with an appreciative smile. "Thanks for being here, Jack. I wish I had known about your memory. I could've helped you."_

_"Yeah well...look, let's just get you taken care of, then it's Pitch's turn."_

_"Here you are!" North said as he pushed his way through Jamie's window._

_"SHHHHH!" Tooth warned as she pointed to Jamie sleeping._

_"Oh...what gives slow pokes? How you feeling Toothie?"_

_"Believed in!" She whispered as she flew up to North._

_"Ha! That's what I want to hear."_

_"Oh, I see how it is..." Bunny started as he appeared from a tunnel. "All working together to make sure the rabbit gets last place."_

_"SHHHHHH!" We all tried to tell him._

_"You think I need help beating a bunny?" Jack challenged with a smirk. "Check it out Peter Cottontail"_

_"You call that a bag of chompers?" Bunny pulled out his bag, which was indeed bigger than Jack's. "Now that's a bag of chompers."_

_"Gentlemen, gentlemen..." North started as he pushed through the other guardians. "This is about Tooth. Is not competition, but if it was...I win!" He slammed down his large bag. "YEE HAWW" Then, suddenly a flashlight was shined at us. North immediately regretted his decision to be loud and backed up slightly. "Oh no..."_

_"Santa Clause..." Jamie whispered out. "The Easter Bunny? Sandman!" I waved at him as he shined the light in my eyes. "The Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!"_

_"Surprise..." Tooth gave a nervous laugh. "We came!"_

_"He can see us!?" Jack asked with hope filling up his chest._

_"Most of us..." Bunny stated sadly._

_"Shh...You guys, he's still awake."_

_"Sandy, knock him out."_

_'Yeah sure I'll just do that.' I thought sarcastically._

_"With the dream sand ya Gumbies!"_

_Bunny's voice had apparently woken up the greyhound that was sleeping. It started growling at Bunny with the intent to attack if he moved wrong. "No! Stop it! That's the Easter Bunny. What are you doing Abbey!? Down!"_

_"Alright, no body panic." Bunny suggested as he set down his bag._

_"But that's a um...That's a greyhound. Do you know what greyhounds DO to rabbits?" Jack asked with a slight chuckle at the end._

_"I think it's a pretty safe bet he hasn't met a rabbit like me. Six-foot-one, nerves of steal..."_

_'You hearing this, Jack?' I thought to him as I got a ball of dream sand ready._

_'Yup! It seems Jasmine's boyfriend sure likes to brag.' Jack thought as he rolled his eyes and looked to the nearby clock._

_"...master of Tai-chi and..." Jack tapped the clock which was Abbey's breaking point and she immediately went after Bunny. "Crikey! Ah!"_

_Somewhere in the attack, I lost the ball of sand he made and it began attacking the other guardians. First it hit tooth and baby tooth who both had teeth dancing above their heads. Then, it hit Bunny who had carrots above his head. After that was Abbey the greyhound who ended up with bones above her head. Next to go down was North who tapped one of the candy canes that started to appear. "Candy canes..." Then finally, I caught Jamie and nodded my head, causing the boy to fall asleep in my arms._

_"Whoops!" Jack said with amusement bubbling in his chest as I set Jamie back down on his bed. Then, much to Jack's delight, one of the carrots interacted with one of the candy canes and began dancing with it like it was on a Broadway show. "Oh, I really wish I had a camera right now!"_

_"Jack, I hardly think that they would..." My eyes widened at the nightmare at the window._

_Jack's eyes followed where mine were and just barely caught a glimpse of it before it left the window in a hurry. He immediately flew after it. "Sandy, c'mon! We can find Pitch!"_

_I began walking to the window. "Should I wake them up? Nah, they'll be fine." I caught up to_ _Jack who had started flying and jumping off of rooftops. "Hey, Jack! Wanna make a race of it!?" I asked him quickly with excitement in my eyes._

_Jack laughed out loud with pure joy and excitement in his eyes. "YES!" He chased after one nightmare while I chased after the other. He jumped down from a building shouting, "Wahoo!" and continued his chase of the nightmare as he flew down the street and then down an alleyway, where he used the crook of his staff to make himself do a back spin while holding on to the staff, and he propelled himself forward chasing the black horse up the wall and onto a roof where he let out a beam of what almost looked like icy lightning. "I got it!" He shouted, once he heard his magic connect to something. He laughed as he jumped further up to the second part of the roof to get a closer look at what he'd done. Once he found what he was looking for he smiled widely. "Sandy! Sandy, did you see that!?" He shouted, looking proud that he took one of them down. He inched closer to it and touched his staff with it, which caused icy lightning to flow out of his staff along the black horse. "Look at this thing..."_

_"Frost?" Pitch questioned with a skeptical expression, making Jack immediately turn around. He tried to shoot electrical ice at him, but it missed as Pitch disappeared. "You know, for a neutral party, you spend an awful lot of time with those weirdos. This isn't your fight, Jack."_

_"You made it my fight when you stole those teeth!"_

_"Teeth? Why should you care about the teeth?" Once I appeared next to Pitch he to let out a yelp and jumped a couple feet away._

_'You've taken my brother, you've attacked my friends, and if you think I'm going to let you hurt my son, you're sorely mistaken!'_

_Pitch, not knowing my thoughts as I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, chuckled darkly as he said, "Now, this is who I'm looking for."_

_'LOOKING FOR ME HUH!?' I shouted in my mind as I pulled out dream sand whips and immediately went after Pitch. 'You have been hurting children! You have been hurting my friends! And you have no business talking to Jack!' I used one of the whips to wrap around Pitch's wrists while Pitch was trying to swing his nightmare scythe, and I started to slam him against the walls. 'You. Will not. Swing that. Around Jack!' I tossed him into the air and then slammed him onto the ground. 'I won't let you hurt him!'_

_Once Pitch landed on the ground Jack chuckled lightly. "Remind me not get on your bad side."_

_I gave Jack a sideways glance with a smile. 'You've been there a couple of times, remember?'_

_'Yeah, but this is a fierce reminder.' He chuckled lightly in his mind before we jumped down._

_"Okay...easy..." Pitch started as he backed away on the street while still on his back._ _Meanwhile, I was glaring him down, ready to strike again. "_ _You can't blame me for trying, Sandy! You don't know what it's like to be weak and hated! It was stupid of me to mess with your dreams..." Pitch stood up and held up a hand. "So I tell you what...you can have them back!"_

_Nightmare horses started to appear one by one then ten by ten, as they surrounded Jack and I. "You take the ones on the left I take the ones one the right?" Jack asked nervously._

_'I guess?' I shrugged as we looked around._

_We both heard Pitch approaching, so we turned around to face him, and I got my whips ready. "Boo!" Pitch said as he commanded the nightmares to attack._

_As I was attacking, the sleigh started flying overhead, which caught Pitch's attention, and made room for me to attack a few more nightmare horses before grabbing Jack and flying into the air. Once we were high enough, I tossed Jack into the air, knowing the horses were after us. 'Go, Jack!'_

_Jack started fighting off nightmares immediately after I threw him into the air, and was relieved when Tooth took on the nightmare he was fighting. For a short time none of them were attacking him, when suddenly he saw that two were coming after him from both sides, so he simply allowed himself to drop out of the air slightly, so that the two horses could crash into each other. However, in his decent, he hit a horse and lost his staff. He grabbed frantically for the staff in the air as his breathing grew heavier. Once he finally grabbed it, he landed on the side of the sleigh where Bunny grinned at him saying, "You might wanna duck." So, he did, and noticed the incredibly smug grin on Bunny's face that he had, likely because Jack just barely avoided the boomerang._

_Jack then noticed I was fighting by myself on a large golden cloud while being surrounded by what seemed to be thousands of nightmares, and Pitch glaring me down from a distance above me. "We gotta help Sandy!" Jack shouted, and North immediately made his way towards me when suddenly, Jack saw Pitch hit me with a nightmare arrow. "No!" Jack shouted and immediately started flying towards me as fast as he could._

_"Jack!" He heard Bunny shout, but he chose to ignore it._

_"Don't fight the fear little man!" Pitch laughed out_   _._

_Tooth tried to go after Jack but nightmares swarmed her. "Hurry, Hurry, Jack!" North shouted as he pulled back on the reins._

_"I'd say sweet dreams...but there aren't any left."_

_As I was consumed by the nightmare sand I stood proudly, focusing on Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack." At my last thoughts my golden light had fizzled out._

_"No!" Jack stopped for only a moment as he realized what just happened. "NO!" He shouted as he flew directly towards Pitch. Pitch flung his nightmares at Jack, making Jack hesitate, but only for a moment. As I watched the memory my hands were clasped over my mouth when I saw the nightmares completely swarm and engulf Jack, but then my hands immediately dropped with my jaw as a sonic boom was heard, and pure white light was erupting from Jack. 'You killed my Father, you BASTARD!' He spread his arms wide, his light banishing the nightmares away with his magic ACTUALLY crying out for everyone to hear. "AHHHHH" He shouted as he slammed his hands together, sending his pure white light towards the nightmares, disintegrating them all and knocking both him and Pitch out of the sky._

_As Jack fell, Tooth quickly caught him, and took him into the sleigh where Bunny was completely speechless and North seemed to be breathless. "Jack...h-how did you do that?"_

_"I..." He whispered out as he tried to sit up, but he couldn't. "...I didn't know I COULD!" He whispered out as he looked at his staff with a perplexed expression. 'What did I just do? How did I do that? How did every bone in my body KNOW to do that!?'_

I frantically waved at Tooth to pause the memory, so she did, and I just stared at Jack with wide and shocked eyes. "Bunny would know what that was, did he tell you!?"

"No...I didn't tell him, mate." I heard Bunny admit. When I turned to look at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't want to assume that's what it was for a number of reasons. One being that it would mean he had Golden Age blood in him, and I would have to figure out just who's son he was, because pure soul or not...that's not just light magic...that's pure Golden Age magic. Two, I know of only one family that can do that kind of magic specifically, and that was gonna raise a whole bunch of unwanted questions. Three, I know the survival rate on that move he just did, and it's lower than low."

"Wait, back up..." I heard Jack start. I turned to face him once more and noticed his confused expression. "...what did I do? What do you mean one kind of family? Golden Age magic? Sandy's told me a little about the Golden Age, but I didn't think there was a specific magic tied to it, and what do you mean survival rate!? What did I just do?"

"W-Well..." Bunny started. "First off...the survival rate of that...well...it's low. Let's just say that. You have to be extremely powerful to just walk the next day, let alone live and fight after. Secondly, the only family I know of that can do that is the Pitchiner family. You have Sandy's blood in ya, he's really your Father, which makes a lot of sense, but still...you're more powerful than we thought. Ya have both Winter magic and Golden Age magic, which is a sort of...hidden magic. I have it, Mother Nature has it, Sandy has it, I suspect Pitch has it, but can't access it due to the darkness, and Manny has it. Ours are all different. However, what you did...is SPECIFIC to the Pitchiner family. Ya connected your soul with your heart, and your soul shined out of your body. Your ENTIRE body, heart, mind, and soul became ONE with your magic...ALL of your magic, you used it to blast Pitch out of the sky. It's...back in Sandy's and my day...it was usually the last move of a battle...because no one really survived it. If they did...they were never the same after. They lost somethin'. A sense, a limb, their entire life...somethin'...but ya didn't lose anythin'. I was floored when ya were able to talk just seconds after Tooth brought ya back into the sleigh. Ya basically willin'ly sacrificed yourself for Sandy."

"W-Well...I was just...I was so hurt...and angry...and..."

"Jack..." I trailed off as my heart pounded in my chest. I looked at him up and down as if he would disappear and moment, because in the blast...he could've.

"Yes?" He questioned as he looked down at me, and seemed to notice my expression. "I'm sorry, Sandy."

"J-Just...I...please...I already thought I had lost you once back in '68...I thought I was GOING to lose you...please...don't do that again. You've had WAY too many close calls that mostly...only I know about."

"Sandy, I didn't know I COULD do that!" Jack shouted in exasperation.

"Just...don't do it on purpose, okay?"

"Alright, I'll try."

I nodded my head with a small smile, but my heart ached at the thought of what could've happened to Jack, because he was defending ME. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

_The memory shifted and Jack was sitting at a windowsill that North was starting to approach. His hood was up and he pressed his pinky against the glass, and to my surprise, holding immense control over his frost as it frosted into the smaller version of me. "Are you alright?" North questioned carefully with concern in his eyes._

_"I just uh...I wish I could've DONE something."_

_"DONE something!?" North let out a huff in disbelief. "Jack, you stood up to Pitch! You SAVED us!"_

_"But Sandy..."_

_"...would be proud of what you did."_

_I looked at Jack and tugged on his shirt. "I am proud of you, Jack. EXTREMELY proud of you, but that move...it's powerful and it worries me, but I am IMMENSELY proud of you."_

_"Thanks, Sandy. That means a lot."_

_North continued with a slight contemplative and impressed expression. "I don't know who you were in past life..." North placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, turning him so that Jack would look at him. "but in this life you ARE Guardian!"_

_"But...how can I know who I am...until I find out who I was?"_

_"You WILL." North told him reassuringly. "I feel it! In my belly!" North's words seemed to bring a flicker of hope into Jack's eyes as he looked up and smiled at him._

_As North and Jack walked away, they noticed the lights at the same time Tooth did. "Look how fast they're going out!"_

_"It's fear!" Jack nearly whispered out as he gracefully flew up to the globe. "He's tipped the balance." He looked down at the others with a worried expression. 'Sandy's always told me there was a balance that needed to be kept, but to tip it this much...'_

_"Hey, buck up ya sad sacks! We can still turn this around! "Easter is tomorrow..." Jack landed and stood next to North, looking up at Bunny with a small smile. "...and I need your help! I say we pull out all the stops...and get those little lights flickerin' again!"_

_The memory blinked to North and them getting onto the elevator. "Bunny is right!" Once the elevator stopped North smirked very briefly before saying words I NEVER thought I would EVER hear him say. "As much as it pains me to say it, old friend, this time EASTER...is more important than Christmas."_

_Jack smirked brightly as Bunny's jaw dropped. "Did everyone hear that!?" Bunny questioned._

_'Heard it loud and clear, Cottontail.' Jack let out a slight huff of laughter._

_"Everyone to the sleigh!"_

_"Oh no, mate. My warren, my rules! Buckle up." Bunny smirked wickedly as he tapped his foot hard twice against the floor._

_"Shoshtakovich!" North shouted, and suddenly they were all barreling down a tunnel. Well, Jack was surfing flawlessly. "Ah, buckle up...is very funny."_

_Bunny let out a joyful chuckle. "Welcome to the Warren!" Then his ears picked up something, and I raised an eyebrow at how his ears started twitching. "Somethin's up." They all heard screaming and got their weapons out, and started chasing after the noise, but once a little girl came out, they all stopped._

_"Sophie!?" Jack asked and they all put their weapons away instantly._

_"What is SHE doin' HERE!"_

_"Ah oh...snow globe..." North stated with wide eyes as he patted his coat. I couldn't help the light chuckle and shake of my head as I watched Bunny's reaction next._

_"Crikey! Somebody do somethin'!"_

_"Hey, don't look at me, I'm invisible...remember?"_

_"Elf! Elf! Elf!" Sophie giggled out as she dragged one of the elves earning a slacked jawed and wide eyed expression from Bunny._

I tapped Bunny on his side and chuckled lightly.  _"Not much different than when you would find Emily in your burrow."_

"Come to think of it...you're right. The little ankle biter reminds me a lot of her...which explains how I treated her in my warren."

 _"Oh, I got to see this."_  I grinned as the memory continued.

_"Don't worry, Bunny! I bet she's a fair fan! It's okay little one."_

_"PRETTY!" Sophie stated as she tapped her feet lightly._

_"Awe! You know what? I've got something for you! Here it is!" Tooth opened her palm to reveal teeth and my jaw dropped. "Look at all the pretty teeth with little blood and gums on them!"_

_"WAHHH!" Sophie shouted and I started laughing as I watched Jack chuckle lightly at them._

_"BLOOD and GUMS!? When was the last time you actually hung out with kids!?" He asked as he sat on one of Bunny's egg heads that was buried into the ground._

_"PEEK-A-BOO!" She shouted, causing Jack to let out the same chuckle he would let out for his children when they would play games._

_"We are busy bringing JOY to children! We don't have time..." North's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what he was about to say. "...for children."_

_"Huh..." I heard Bunny remark as he stood a bit straighter with a contemplative look on his face._

_"If one little kid can ruin Easter then..." Jack grinned slightly as he made a snowflake dance around his hand before sending it towards Bunny, and to my surprise, Sophie followed it. "...then we're in worse shape than I thought."_

"Tooth pause it!" I heard Bunny shout, and she did, just before it hit Bunny's nose. "Did she...did she follow the snowflake!?"

"Yeah...she did!" Jack stared with a slacked jaw.

"Mate...we can affect the world with our powers, make a few plants grow, you can cause ice and snow to appear, but that snowflake was a PURE enchantment! The only way she would've been able to see that magical snowflake...WHICH is COMPLETELY different from one of your NORMAL snowflakes that everyone else can see is if..."

"Jack...I am thinking...Sophie may have been your first believer...and not Jamie." North breathed out with wide eyes.

"That...would explain the warmth I felt while we were in the warren...but it was completely different when Jamie said my name."

 _"That's because you Jamie ACKNOWLEDGED you and your existence!"_  I explained with a bright smile.  _"You only got half of the feeling after Sophie. After Jamie...you got it all, so...Jamie is still your first TRUE believer...but Sophie is your FIRST believer. There's a difference. She can see you, your magic, and what you can do, but she never said your name...so she wasn't the first TRUE believer...just the first believer."_

"You say JUST the first believer like it's not something incredible! I understand it a bit, though. So...Sophie could see me, which means she believed in me, but because Jamie SAID my name...he's my first TRUE believer, but my second believer all together?"

 _"Exactly!"_  I shouted as I jumped up and down with delight.  _"First believer, but not first TRUE believer. Oh! This is incredible! Tooth, can you resume the memory?"_  She quickly nodded her head and resumed the memory to where the snowflake hit Bunny on the face, instantly causing him to smile.

_The memory blinked to where Jack was balanced on top of his staff next to North and they watched as the eggs came forth and Bunny crouched down next to Sophie. "You wanna paint some eggs?" Bunny asked her._

_"OKAY!"_

_"Come on then." He whispered out with a bright smile._

_"Rimsky-Korsakov! That's a lot of eggs!"_

_"Um...how much time do we have?"_

_"WHOO HOO!" Bunny shouted as he ran on all fours with Sophie on his back laughing with pure delight. "Alright, troops! It's time to push back! That means eggs EVERYWHERE! HEAPS of you in every high-rise, farmhouse, and trailer park! In tennis shoes and cereal bowls! Oh there'll be bathtubs FILLED with my beautiful googies!"_

_When one of North's elves fell into the river, North smirked at it, but then noticed there were feet on the bottom of the eggs, so he picked one out of the river. "Okay...that is little strange."_

_"No, mate..." Bunny gave an honest smile as he was covered in Googies that were walking all over him. "...that's adorable!" Bunny set them down and jumped over to a large rock. "There will be SPRING TIME on EVERY continent, and I'm brinin' HOPE with me!"_

_The memory blinked to where Jack was walking towards Bunny who was holding Sophie in his arms. Jack crouched down next to him, sliding his hand down his staff as he gave an approving nod at the scene before him AND at how well Bunny handled Sophie. "Not bad." He told Bunny. 'I knew Bunny could be good. I KNOW I can trust him with Jasmine.'_

_"Not bad yourself." Bunny gave a genuine smile to Jack, which was so rare for Bunny in general, my jaw dropped completely._

_Jack nodded his head at him with an approving smile. 'I'm glad Jasmine has you.' He let out a slight sigh before speaking. "Uh, Look I-I'm sorry about the whole...you know...the kangaroo thing."_

_"It's the accent isn't it?" Bunny's words made Jack let out a soft chuckle as he nodded his head slightly. "Awe, poor little ankle-biter. Look at her, all tuckered out."_

_"I love her." Tooth cooed. "I think it's time to take her home."_

_"How about I take her home."_

_"Jack, NO! Pitch is-"_

_"-no match for this!" Jack stated with confidence as he held out his staff._

_"Which is why we need you here...with us."_

_"Trust me! I'll be quick as a bunny!"_

_The memory blinked to Jack trying to put Sophie to bed. He tried to get her off, but that didn't work. 'Just like trying to put Ronan to bed when he was this age!' He climbed onto her bed and pulled her arms from his neck and started to walk away, when he heard her start to roll off. "Ooo!" He whispered out quickly as he tried to catch her, but it was too late. She was already on the floor. 'And just like Seamus...she falls RIGHT OFF the bed.'_

_"Sophie! Is that you!?" Came a woman's voice. Jack quickly looked up, his heart obviously pounding and he placed a blanket on Sophie and a stuffed animal next to her._

_Once Jack closed her window from the outside, he looked at Baby Tooth with a slightly amused smile. "WE...should get back."_

_"Jack!" A young girls voice called out._

Tooth quickly paused the memory and put her hands to her mouth. "What's wrong?" Jack asked curiously.

"Your teeth...they were activated."

"Yeah...I figured that one out." Jack replied with guilt in his tone.

"Jack...you had amnesia! Three centuries of it! You couldn't HELP but be drawn to your memories! Whatever happened...it wasn't your fault...like we had thought."

"Really?" Jack asked and the hope in his eyes would normally be a good thing, but the amount that was there gave me a feeling I would be pissed at their reactions at seeing him. She nodded her head and continued the memory.

_"That voice..." He narrowed his eyes trying to remember where he's heard it from. "I know that voice."_

_"Jack!" It called out once more, and almost as if he was in some sort of trance, he flew off towards the sound of the voice, his eyes searching for where it could've come from. "Jack!" It called out again and he landed on someone's roof, again searching the area for the familiar voice. "Jack!" It said again. 'It's coming from the forest!' He flew off towards the forest, intent on finding the source of the voice. Once he made it to the middle of the woods and landed he walked closer to where he assumed the voice was coming from and found an old wooden bed frame that seemed to be broken in some places. "Jack?"  
_

_Baby tooth tried to pull on his hoodie, but Jack waved at her with almost a hypnotized trance look in his eyes as he continued forward. "Don't worry...there's still time."_ _Jack broke through the already mostly broken wood, then the voice called out to him. After that, he dove down into the dark hole without a second thought with baby tooth rushing after him. Once he landed, Baby tooth found him and began tugging at his hoodie once more. "_ _Baby Tooth! Baby T...C'mon! I have to find out what that is!" He looked up and saw all of the fairies that were captured earlier, in cages. All of the fairies started crying for Jack's help. He flew up to a cage and saw so many fairies inside. "Shhhh keep it down! I'm gonna get you out as soon as I..."_

_"Jack?" The voice called again and the trance like stare appeared on his face once again. "Jack!"_

_"...I can..." He practically threw himself into the pile of teeth canisters and frantically looked for a face that resembled his but found none._

_"Looking for something?" Pitch called out from the shadows. 'Pitch!' Jack turned around and shot ice towards the shadow, and as it disappeared he began to chase it. "Don't be afraid, Jack. I'm not gonna hurt YOU."_

_Jack jumped around the darkened corridor until he found Pitch walking across a bridge. He flew towards him and started following him with his staff ready to strike. "Afraid? I'm not afraid of you."_

_"Maybe not, but you are afraid of something."_

_"You think so, huh?"_

_"I know so! It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you."_   _Fear seemed to begin to settle into Jack's heart as Pitch's shadow grew more at his own words. Then suddenly, he was pulled down a dark tunnel and pushed out somewhere else in the cavern as he chuckled darkly. "And worst of all..." Pitch continued. "You're afraid you'll never know why! Why you? Why were you chosen?" Jack ran away from the voice all while trying to find where it came from. His heart was obviously pounding while his breathing grew heavier. He was getting more frightened the more Pitch talked. Jack backed up against the wall as he noticed Pitch's shadow coming towards him, becoming more solid. "...To be like this. Well, fear not. For the answer to that is right here." Pitch held out the canister to Jack and looked at them both with a soft yet twisted reminiscent smile on his face as he asked, "Do you want them, Jack? Your memories?" Jack reached out to them, but drew his hand back as he scoffed out a breath of disbelief at himself. 'I have to get back to the others! They need me!' Jack thought to himself as Pitch disappeared again, and he soon found himself chasing him again through the dark cavern of cages. "Everything you wanted to know..." Pitch's shadow spoke. "...in this little box." His shadow disappeared and Jack rushed after it with determination in his eyes. "Why did you end up like this?" Pitch's voice seemed to come from everywhere at this point. He started breathing hard in fear of what else Pitch might say. "...unseen..." He continued. "...unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them, but you're afraid of what the guardians will think. You're afraid...of disappointing them. Well let me ease your mind about one thing. They'll never accept you...not really."_

_Pitch's voice echoed around him and in his head. 'They'll never...No! Stop...!' Jack started to grab his ear as he attempted to push out the fear from his heart and make his ears not listen to Pitch's cruelty. "Ngh! Stop it! Stop it!" He shouted. 'Get out of my head!'_

_"After all..." Pitch appeared in front of Jack who was now standing next Pitch's version of the globe. "You'll never be one of them." He smiled darkly as he approached closer._

_Jack held his staff once again, ready to attack Pitch at any moment. As I watched the memory, anger already started to seethe in my chest. I couldn't imagine how I might react to whatever they thought Jack might've done. "You don't know what I am!" He growled out._

_"Of course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess where ever you go. Why...you're doing it right now." He tossed the teeth canister towards Jack, and Jack caught it, looking at it skeptically._

_"What did you do?"_

_"More to the point, Jack? What did you do?" Pitch chuckled out darkly as he and his glowing eyes started fading away into darkness._

_Jack immediately went after him, his staff glowing with power, when he realized that Pitch wasn't there. He made to turn around but found himself facing a wall instead. "Baby Tooth!" He exclaimed when he noticed he didn't have the fairy with him._

_"Happy Easter, Jack."_

_Jack turned around to see crushed eggs and his heart sank, and his soul ached. "No..." He said sadly as he made his way down the tunnel. When the memory shifted,_ _Jack arrived at the egg hunt and immediately witnessed a child walking through Bunny. 'No...not Bunny...' He though guiltily._

_"They don't see me..." Bunny started. "They don't see me..." He said once more as he began to crouch in on himself with tears threatening his eyes._

_"Jack! Where were you?" North asked, and Jack immediately turned around with guilt evident in his eyes. "The nightmares...attacked the tunnels. They smashed every egg...crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface!"_

_"Jack!" Tooth flew over towards them, then noticed the canister in his hand. She gasped aloud and looked at Jack. "Where did you get that?"_

_"I was...it's..."_

_"Where's Baby Tooth?" She asked frantically. Then, she noticed the little fairy was no longer in sight and gasped in horror at Jack. "Oh, Jack...what have you done!?" She questioned as she backed away from him with a look of pure heartbreak and disbelief._

_"That is why you weren't here? You were with PITCH!?"_

_'Wait...they think I traded Baby Tooth!?' Jack's eyes widened in shock at what they thought. "No! Listen listen..." He let out a heavy breath. "I'm sorry!" He stated desperately. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"_

_"He has to go." Bunny said from behind him._

_"What?" Jack asked as worry filled his heart. 'Please, no...let me explain!'_

_"WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" Bunny rose a paw at Jack in the form of a fist, seemingly ready to hit him._

_'_ _Don't claw me up again!' Jack thought desperately as he backed away quickly with wide, hurt, and shocked eyes._

_Bunny lowered his fist and let out a heavy sigh. "Easter is...New beginnings...new life. Easter is about Hope! And now it's gone." Bunny sighed as he walked away from Jack with a disappointed look. Jack turned around to North and Tooth silently begging, 'Please hear me out! Please Let me explain!' But North and Tooth looked away, not wanting to see Jack. Jack then took out the small wooden doll that North had given him, and looked at it's eyes. 'Here I thought...maybe I had more friends than Cupid and my family. Here I thought that perhaps, I could be friends with those Sandy called friends. I was wrong." Jack dropped the doll and flew away. "I thought I was ACTUALLY getting along with Bunny FOR ONCE! I thought perhaps I could get along and be friends with Jasmine's boyfriend, and finally tell her that we got along...but I'm just...a disappointment!'_

Tooth paused the memory, and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed and heard. "Sandy?" Bunny started, drawing me out of my shock, and reminding me of the seething anger from before. I instantly took a whip out and was about to hit Bunny with it when Jack blocked it, causing my whip to wrap around his arm.

 _"MOVE, JACK!"_  I shouted as I pulled my whip away from his arm.

"NO!" He growled out at me.

 _"Jack..."_  I trailed off as I still had my whip ready while I glared daggers at Bunny who, to my surprise, seemed to resign himself to my attack.

"It's alright, Jacky. I deserve it."

"Wha-No! You don't! And either way, it was ME who you hurt. It was ME who you, Tooth, and North casted aside, so it's up to ME to decide if you deserve it or not!"

_"Jack, he's the Guardian of HOPE! He just CRUSHED your's!"_

"Hey, Sandy..." Jack started as he crouched down to me and wrapped his arms around me. "...remember? Remember what you told me? About how things can be misinterpreted? Well, that's what happened. I wasn't allowed to explain, and when they saw me WITHOUT Baby Tooth...and with my memory box...KNOWING that Pitch had the mini fairies AND the memory boxes...they only assumed what was right in front of them, and they already lost you. They were banking on Easter, and that failed...because Pitch taunted me just long enough, but they didn't know that part." He pulled away from the hug and tears were streaming down my face, because I knew he was right, but it HURT dammit! "It's up to me to forgive their mistakes against me. Not you. And I HAVE forgiven them. I hadn't told them what happened before and after, because once I looked into my memory box...it didn't matter anymore."

_"But...you're my son!"_

"And you're my Father." He smiled at me and for a moment my heart felt so warm, because he said it openly in front of the others, but it still hurt.

_"Bunny has caused you so much pain, Jack!"_

"And I've forgiven him for all of it! He's your friend, Father."

At hearing him say it again I looked past Jack and to Bunny and I let out a heavy sigh.  _"You're right, Jack. It was a lesson I taught you...and I know...but...it hurt to see him hurt you again...but you're right."_  I put away my whip and Jack moved while I still looked at Bunny.  _"I'm sorry, Bunny."_

"It's alright. I still think I deserve it, but I'm not gonna turn down forgiveness. Thank ya both."

 _"You're welcome."_  Jack and I said in unison in our own ways.

"We should continue the memories. Not much left I figure." Bunny grinned, and his posture seemed to relax greatly. Tooth nodded her head and resumed the memories.

_The memory blinked and we were all practically blinded by the sudden white light from the snow in Antarctica. Jack was running up to an icy cliff ready to throw his teeth into the white abyss, when he just stopped mid throw. He dropped his arm to his side and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought this might happen." Pitch called out. 'Pitch!? Why are you here!? This is all your fault!' Jack thought furiously. "They never really believed in you. I was just trying to show you that, but I understand."_

_'HOW DARE YOU!?' Jack thought with pure rage as a growl left his throat as he immediately and relentlessly attacked Pitch with an ice blast. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" He shouted as he jumped over Pitch, landed on the far other side of him and shot another ice blast. It was a move I would use on him during sparring sessions, which was impressive as it was, but I remembered the blast he preformed just after I died, and I couldn't help but shake my head in amazement that he was not only able to move, but able to fight as well as he could._

_Pitch used his nightmare sand as a shield from Jack's blast that would've likely sent him off the edge of the cliff. "No!?" He challenged. "I don't know what it's like to be cast out!?" He shot out nightmare sand at Jack who avoided it and immediately flew high into the air with a vengeful yell as he shot out a large and powerful icy blast, that Pitch had to use quite a bit of nightmare sand to defend with. "To not be believed in?" He continued. "To long for...a family!?" Pitch's voice broke at the end and Jack started lowering his staff. 'He what?' He thought as his anger faltered slightly. "All those years in the shadows I thought, 'no one else knows what this feels like.' But now I see I was wrong." Jack felt the anger leave him as he stared at Pitch with stunned eyes. 'He does know what this feels like to not be seen, doesn't he? I-I have a family, but...I'm not...seen...by mortals.' He thought to himself as he allowed Pitch to continue. "We don't have to be alone Jack. I believe in you, and I know children will too!"_

_'Really?' Jack thought. "In me?"_

_"Yes!" Pitch laughed out in a giddy manner. "Look at what we can do?" Pitch asked as he gestured to the large nightmare-ice sculpture. "What goes together better than cold and dark!? We can make them BELIEVE! We'll give them a world where everything...EVERYTHING IS..."_

_"Pitch Black?" Jack inquired using his staff to point at him. 'I don't think so...'_

_"And Jack Frost too..." Pitch quickly caught himself. "...They'll believe in both of us."_

_"No, they'll FEAR both of us, and that's not what I want. Now, for the LAST time, leave me alone!"_

_Pitch's excited look from earlier quickly turned into one of anger and frustration. "Very well. You want to be left alone. Done! But first..."_

_Jack heard a familiar squeak from behind him and his eyes went wide. "Baby Tooth!"_

_"THE STAFF, JACK! You have a bad habit of interfering. Now, hand it over, and I'll let her go."_

_Jack clutched his staff, ready to attack, and we heard the power sing in protest from the staff with an icy voice, but he lowered it and flipped it around, handing it to Pitch. When Pitch took it, it lost all it's icy appearance it held when in Jack's hands. "Alright, now let her go."_

_"No." He said simply. "You wanted to be alone? Then BE alone!" B_ _aby tooth squeaked out and she slammed her beak into Pitch's thumb._

_Pitch, caught by surprise and only further angered, threw her against the ice wall in front of him. "No!" Jack shouted as he watched Baby Tooth hit the wall. He turned around to face Pitch when suddenly he watched his staff snap in two. As the staff snapped, so did his ability to breath apparently. Pitch then hurled nightmare sand at him and tossed him against the very same wall, causing him to lose consciousness until he woke up not long after landing down the icy cavern. After that, Pitch tossed Jack's broken staff into the same area with a dark chuckle._

_Once Jack regained consciousness, he looked over next to him and noticed that Baby Tooth was hurt. He shuffled over on his stomach, unable to move his legs quite yet and quickly grabbed her. "Baby Tooth! You alright?" He whispered out. He tried to close his hands around her to keep her warm when suddenly she squeaked, causing him to open up his hands, and she sneezed, then shook her head. He let out a disappointed sigh as he still held her. "Sorry, all I can do is keep you cold..." He stood up on his knees only to crouch back down on them with another heavy sigh. "Pitch was right..." Jack stated with pure hopelessness. "I make a mess of everything." Baby tooth crawled from his hand and into his pocket causing Jack to let out a short, "Hey!" before leaning up against the wall. 'I guess I'll just stay here forever then...the others don't need or want me. I lost my Father and destroyed Easter...again...so what's the point?'_

_"Jack? Jack!"_

_He looked down at his hoodie pocket and it was glowing. "Whoa!" He shouted as he jumped back in surprise until his back hit the ice wall. He took out the golden canister and looked at it, and Baby Tooth who held her own tiny hand against it, nodding her head. He carefully placed his hand in the middle of the canister and was immediately brought forward to his memories. We all saw how he played with the other children, went on Easter egg hunts, put on shadow puppet plays for them, played in trees, and most importantly, we watched him witness himself saving his little sisters life and how Manny changed him from a dead mortal to Jack Frost. Quickly, as if all breath had left him, he sucked in a large gasp of air as he came flooding back to himself. He looked at the canister, then at Baby Tooth, then to the canister again in disbelief. "Did you...Did you see that!?" Baby Tooth shook her head for her answer, but that didn't stop every amount of happiness and hope that came rushing onto Jack's features. "It was...It was me!" He said frantically as he moved to grab Baby Tooth to tell her of what he saw. "I had A FAMILY! I had a SISTER! I SAVED her!" Then realization seemed to dawn on him as he looked up to the full moon above him. "That's why you chose me..." He whispered out. "I'm...I'm a guardian!" He quickly looked around the cavern and placed his hands on the wall. "We have to get out of here!" He looked around some more. 'If only I could fly.' He then looked to his broken staff and slid on his knees towards it. 'If I could just put it back together somehow...I know I can do it, but...' Before he could finish the thought, the staff slipped and he let out a groan. He stood up and slammed the pieces back together. 'I am the son of Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner! I can do THIS! I am the Guardian of FUN!"_

Just as his staff was starting to glow in the middle Tooth paused it. "Sandy, you told him your last name?" She asked curiously while my jaw was dropped.

 _"No...I never did."_ I shook my head in awe as my heart started to pound and grow warm at the same time.

"When I saw my memories, I remembered when I was eleven and I saw the memory that Uncle Kozzy showed me. When I remember that he pointed to you, saying that you were his twin brother...I remembered...and I knew who you were."

"Wait...so ya remembered that?" Bunny asked while I was too stunned to say anything.

"Uh huh." He smirked.

"So...ya just wanted to poke fun a bit when ya saw me!?"

"Yup! I wanted to see how you'd react if I did. It was great." Tooth rolled her eyes and continued the memory to keep them from fighting and thankfully it worked.

_His staff started glowing brighter and brighter in the middle until it was fully fused and fixed as if it had never broken. He flew into the air laughing joyously. "C'mon Baby Tooth! I owe you one!"_


	10. Chapter 10

_When the memory shifted and settled, Jack was just outside Jamie's window. He had told me that he had gone back to get the fairies and realized there was globe in Pitch's lair, and that's where he saw the last light. "Okay, look." Jamie started. "You and I are obviously at what they call...a crossroads. So, here's what's gonna happen...If it wasn't a dream and if you ARE real, then you have to prove it...like right now." Jack lowered himself at the window as he thought, 'Oh, Jamie...I'm so sorry...' His frown deepened but he decided to let Jamie continue. "I've believed in you for a long time, okay? Like...my whole life in fact. So you kind of owe me now. You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything...anything at all." Jamie begged his stuffed animal with a small glimmer of hope still left in his eyes, but when nothing he happened he tossed the stuffed rabbit onto the floor and sighed. "I knew it." Jack carefully opened the window and walked into Jamie's room. He tapped the glass with his staff, causing it to frost over. 'Even if he won't believe in me...he should at least believe in Bunny.' He thought to himself as he started to draw an Easter egg on the frosted glass. Jamie's eyes shot up and watched with a look of awe, wonder, and hope as the egg seemingly drew itself. Then, Jack started to draw a bunny and he heard Jamie whisper, "He's real!" Jack couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face after he finished drawing the bunny. 'That's right, Jamie!' Jack held out his hands to the frosted drawn bunny. 'Alright, I can do this. My heart and soul are telling me I can do this!' He told himself as he finally let out the breath of air. When he opened his eyes to see a frosted bunny blinking at him before hopping around Jamie, just like my dream sand would've. Both Jack and Jamie laughed joyfully at the bunny that hopped around in the air before it exploded into a snow flurry falling from what seemed to be Jamie's ceiling. "Snow?" He asked curiously, until a snow flake touched his nose. "Jack Frost." Jamie said aloud with a small smile. Meanwhile, I clasped my hands as pure joy crept into my heart at hearing a mortal child say Jack's name...beginning to believe._

_"Did he just say..."_

_"Jack Frost?" Jamie asked the air, thinking he heard someone in his room._

_Jack let out a heavy breath of disbelief and there was a look of hope and wonder in his eyes. "He said...YOU said..."_

_Jamie turned around and his jaw dropped in shock. "Jack Frost!"_

_"That's right! But...but that's me! Jack Frost! That's my name! You said my name!" Jack then noticed that Jamie was staring right where he was standing and the hope only continued to rise in his eyes. "Wait...Can..Can you hear me?" Jamie nodded and Jack's breathing became ragged with joy and hope. "Can...Can...Can you...Can you see me?" When Jamie nodded at his question, his eyes began to well up with overjoyed tears as he laughed out breathlessly, "He sees me. He...He sees me!" He laughed and cried out as he did a back flip of joy onto Jamie's desk._

_"You just made it snow!" Jamie shouted with glee._

_"I know!" Jack replied with so much joy in his heart he almost couldn't take it._

_"In my room!"_

_"I know!"_

_"You're real!?"_

_"Yeah man! Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and...and the snow days!? And you remember when you went flying on the sled the other day?"_

_"That was you?"_

_"That was me!"_

_"Cool!"_

_"I know right!?"_

_"But what about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy? I mean, what about..."_

_"Real! Real! REAL! Every one of us is real!"_

_"I knew it!"_

At Jamie's words, we were brought back to the North Pole and Tooth took the canister out of it's hold. "I guess...that's all we needed to see." Tooth breathed out. "Jack, you certainly didn't have it easy, but you had your family."

"Yeah, I did, and my wife and children don't even know I'm a Guardian yet. I don't even think Mother Nature knows. There's still the matter with Pitch."

"What do you mean?" Bunny questioned, but just as he did, Manny shined his moon beams on me.

_**"I must confess. A decade ago I had Mother Nature work to decipher the spell you placed on your palace. She returned a week ago with her finished findings, and I found that I could apply that same magic with my own, fuse them together, and give it to you."** _

_"What are you saying?"_  I asked him with curiosity and hope warring in my heart.

**_"I'm saying...I have something for you. A thank you for being so good and faithful to your son, Jack Frost, and for training and raising him to be not only a good man, but an excellent Guardian and friend."_ **

My eyes widened for a moment, but then I felt a warmth envelope me entirely. It was comforting like a hug, but surrounding like the sun on my island, and soon, I felt myself grow taller, and my clothes were changing, but due to the glow that was coming off of me, I had to close my eyes. Once the warmth left, I hesitantly opened my eyes and noticed the glow was gone. However, everyone was staring at me with dropped jaws, even Jack. "What?" I asked. Then, my eyes widened considerably as I realized I had ACTUALLY asked it. I had voice it. I had my voice back! I looked down at my body and I was much taller. I was 6'2, I was wearing black boots, black pants, a golden dress shirt, a black vest with intricate golden swirls embroidered into the fine clothing, and I was wearing a black tie that went underneath the vest that had many dream sand tendrils as the pattern. I looked at my hands and let out a joyful laugh as they were the original size they usually are in my domain. "I-I'm..." I looked up at Jack and soon felt tears run down my face as I rushed forward and hugged him. "I'm me again! I'm not just limited to the Domain anymore! I can SPEAK!"

Jack wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug as he buried his face in my chest, him being a little shorter than me. "I can't believe it! You can really talk outside of the Domain! I don't have to wait until we get back home to hear you speak, laugh, or even get angry at me. I-I hear you in my mind, because we can talk like that, but it's not the same!"

I pulled away from the hug and quickly wiped away Jack's tears. "I know!" I whispered out with a slight laugh. "Now..." I took a deep breath as I moved my hands to wipe away my own tears. "What's this about a Pitch problem? What level of stupid are we talking about, Jack?"

"Um...what's my scale?"

"From childish to you've dug yourself six feet under."

"Ah...well...what if it was more like...fifteen feet under?"

"You want to try and do what you did when you were a child...don't you?" When gave me a small smile and a nod, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Of course...and what's worse...I can't believe I'm thinking it's a good idea, but first, we need to find a way to prank your children."

"Why?"

"We're going to need all the help we can get, Jack. You KNOW Ronan has been working on his spring magic, your daughter is the General of Spring, and Seamus has manipulation magic along with his spring magic. Your son is a trickster spirit."

"I know, I'm so proud." Jack beamed and then turned to see Bunny. "So, Cottontail, what do ya think of pranking your girlfriend and my twin boys?"

"What did ya have in mind, Frostbite?" He smirked with a raise of his eyebrows, his eyes shining with pure mischief.

"Well first, I would have to take Sandy to them and say that Manny granted him his original form, but I'll just tell them he figured out how to do it, and then perhaps Father and I come back to my pond in Burgess, and...we'll figure it out from there. All you have to do is meet us and play along. You're a smart Bunny. You'll figure it out."

"Good thing I'm quick on my feet." Bunny laughed.

"Alright, let's get started." Jack grinned before turning to face me. "Do you think you could get Jasmine and Ronan? I can get Seamus."

"Not a problem. This'll be amusing."

_**oOoOoOoOo** _

Once I made it to Mother Nature's Domain, the first persona I was met with was Emily herself, and she dropped the flower pot she was holding. "U-Uncle!?" She shouted with wide eyes.

I nodded my head and she rushed to hug me. "Oh!" I laughed out as I quickly returned the hug. "Manny figured it out. He did it, Emily. Now, as much as I would LOVE for this hug to continue...Jack, Bunny, and I are playing a little prank on Jasmine and the twins. They don't know Jack's a Guardian or that him and Bunny get along. You think you can play along?"

"Oh, this is going to be good!" She whispered out in delight as she released the hug. "Let me go get them."

She was gone for about ten minutes before she returned with Jasmine wearing something she doesn't usually wear. She was wearing a red T-shirt, dark blue blue-jeans, and she was wearing black boots. Meanwhile, Ronan was dressed sharply as always. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt with a sapphire blue bow-tie, black pants, and black dress shoes. "Emily, are you sure everything is alright?" Ronan questioned with a worried look in his eyes.

"Well...define...fine, Ronan." I told him, catching both his and Jasmine's attention.

"G-Grandfather!?" Jasmine squeaked out.

"Yup! A gift from Manny! I'm not limited to my Domain anymore, and as you can tell...I'm not mute!" At my words, Ronan and Jasmine nearly toppled me over in a hug. "Glad to see the both of you approve! Say, how about we go meet your Father and Seamus at the pond in Burgess? I'm sure Seamus will be surprised."

"Is that okay, Emily?" Ronan questioned carefully, letting go of the hug.

"As long as I get to come too."

"YAY!" Jasmine jumped up and down.

_**oOoOoOoOo** _

Once we made it to the pond, Jack and Seamus were flying down towards it, and I had to bite back the smile that wanted to appear when I watched Jack crash into Bunny, knocking them both over. "Ow..." Jack groaned as he held his head once he settled on his butt.

"Yeah! No kiddin'!" Bunny spat back as he stood, holdin' his own head. "Ya should really watch where you're landing!" I watched as Seamus backed away slowly looking back and forth between Bunny and Jack with a worried and slightly frightened expression. Bunny shook his head while Jack still honestly rubbed the side of his head in pain. Seamus had landed fine...Jack had sped forward to PURPOSELY fly into Bunny, but it remarkably enough looked like a genuine accident.

Jack let out a wry laugh as he shook his head, placing his palms behind him, holding himself up. "It's not my fault you were in my way, Cottontail."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that." Bunny rolled his eyes and held out his paw to Jack. "Alright, up ya get, Jacky."

"Jacky?" Jasmine whispered low under her breath, and I could see Seamus' worry mix with confusion.

Jack grabbed Bunny's arm, and Bunny's paw grabbed Jack's arm in return, pulling him up off the ice. "Thanks."

"No worries. I'm not the one that embarrassed myself."

"OH!? Is that so? How about a race then, Bunny? Winner is the one embarrassed, because I'm pretty sure Bunny's are supposed to be quick, and well...I flew into you, and you landed on your ass!"

"I've told ya before...Ya don't wanna race a rabbit, mate."

"Really? Try me!" Jack smirked, and already I could tell his children were massively confused, and it took everything I had to not even grin.

"OH! You're on!"

"Bunny! Jack! What are you two doing?" North's voice came as he stepped out of a portal with Tooth.

"Nothin', mate! We were just about to have a little race."

"Yeah, North. It's no big deal! I was just about to embarrass Bunny!"

Tooth placed her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes, and I saw Seamus grow a blush on his face as he stared at her. "As long as neither of you get hurt."

"The only thing that's gonna get hurt is Bunny's pride!" Jack laughed out.

"Oh, yeah right!" With that, they both took off, racing through the trees.

"Wh-What just happened!?" Jasmine questioned as she staggered back against a tree.

"Well, how about we follow them and find out?" I suggested. "SEAMUS!" I shouted, and his eyes settled on me.

"Gra-erm...I mean...Sandy!?"

"Save it." I chuckled lightly. "Tooth and North know."

"Th-They do?"

"I'll explain later. Come on! I know the three of you can fly. Let's go follow Jack and Bunny and see what's going on with them. You know they never really got along."

As we left I saw North, Tooth, and Emily's pleased grins as they stayed behind. Once we caught up to them, Jack seemed to be in the lead. "Oh-ho! Gettin' up there in age, Cottontail? Ya can't keep up with me?"

"Oh, just you wait, Frostbite!" Bunny flew past Jack with a loud laugh.

"How about this! Make it fair! Go into your human form!"

"Ya sure ya want that, Jacky?"

"Well, unless you're scared I'll beat you!"

"Fine!" Bunny transformed into the same human form he showed us before, but this time, his long dark hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he was running alongside Jack.

"Hey, Bunny?"

"Don't ya try and distract me, Jacky! We're neck and neck right now!"

"Not trying to distract you!" Jack laughed out as he bobbed and weaved out of the trees, keeping pace with Bunny and Bunny keeping pace with him as they raced. "Did we decide a finish line?"

"Huh...don't think we did."

"Well...how about now?"

"A tie? You sure? We'll eventually have to break it!"

"I think I've deserved a win from you, don't you think?"

"That ya have!" At that, Bunny stopped, and Jack flew next to him. They then both collapsed on the ground together. Neither me, Jasmine, Ronan, nor Seamus moved from our spots. My reason was from amusement at my grandchildren's faces, their reasons were probably based on Bunny and Jack. "Ya know...I wasn't all talk earlier at the pole. What I said..."

"I know, Bunny. I know." Jack breathed out with a small smile. "SO! How long are the four of you gonna stay up there?"

I looked at them and motioned for them to follow me down, and thankfully they did. "So, Jack won, huh?"

Bunny looked at me and let out a slight laugh. "He's earned it." They both stood up once more to face us and I moved out of the way so that the five of them could have whatever moment they were about to have.

"Wh-What's going on!?" Seamus questioned with a tone filled with shock and confusion.

"Ah, well...ya see..." Bunny scratched the back of his head, when his eyes landed on Jasmine. "H-Hi...Jasmine." A tint of pink appeared on his face, causing my eyes to widen in amusement.

"Bunny...what IS going on. One day the two of you don't get along and the next...it's like you're old friends or something."

"And what did Bunny mean by...back at the pole?" Ronan asked with a furrowed brow.

"Crikey, so we got the General of spring, my best friend the Leprechaun, and the Groundhog. Gotta admit, mate...your twins look a bit more like you than Grace."

"Y-You told him!?" Jasmine shouted in astonishment.

"Why wouldn't I tell him?" Jack smirked with a furrowed brow of his own. "He's my friend."

"Thank ya, Jacky."

"Anytime, Bunny."

"Wh-What!?" Jasmine and Seamus gawked at the same time as they staggered back.

"What happened? What about the pole?" Ronan asked again.

"Ah, about that...well, I may have forgotten to tell the three of you...that I'm a Guardian now."

"YOU'RE A WHAT!?" The three of them shouted as they both fell back on their butts, staring up at Jack and Bunny.

"Oh! Sandy! You're right! This was great!" Bunny laughed out.

"Hey..." I chuckled out as I walked towards Jack. "...I merely made the suggestion. It was my son who came up with the plan."

"WHAT!?"

"Okay, the three of you really need to listen." Jack grinned as he walked towards them. Once he was in front of them, they sat up cross legged, ready to listen like children at story time, and Jack crouched in front of them. "About three days before Easter, the Man in the Moon decided I was to be the new Guardian. I fought against it, but then I learned I could get my memories...which I didn't even know I HAD, and I helped the Guardians fight against Pitch. There was a HUGE misunderstanding at Easter, and the children of the world nearly lost complete disbelief in the Guardians except one. I got Jamie to believe and even though his sister is my first believer, he's my first TRUE believer. However, after viewing more of my memories recently, I'm going to need the three of you to help me, Bunny, Sandy, North, and Tooth to get Pitch back out of the hole he got forced down. A VERY long time ago I was able to somehow push away the darkness in him. I'm going to try and do it again. Now...what are your questions?"

"A-Are you and B-Bunny really friends now?" Jasmine questioned as she looked up at Bunny who was starting to transform back into his rabbit form.

"That's right." Jack grinned. "It's been a long time coming, but we're FINALLY friends, and I directly gave him my permission for him to be with you."

At that Jasmine let out a joyous laugh as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Bunny, kissing him on the lips, causing a smile to appear on Bunny's furry face as his eyes closed while he wrapped his arms around her. When the kiss ended Bunny looked down at her with a dreamy expression. "W-Well...I wish I would've become friends with Jack a LOT sooner. That was one helluva first kiss."

"Wait, was that your first kiss ever, or just with my daughter?" Jack asked with an amused look on his face.

"Ever." Bunny breathed out.

"R-Really?" Jasmine asked with a surprised tone and widened eyes.

"Yes, really." He answered and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He then let go of her to look at Ronan who's eyes were shot wide with shock. "Jacky tells me ya wanted to be my friend, but ya didn't know how to ask. I'm sorry if I've been a right fool and a bit of an ass...but I wouldn't turn down friendship."

"Y-You would be friends w-with me?" Ronan blinked in surprise as he looked back and forth between Jack and Bunny.

"If ya want." Bunny nodded with a kind smile.

"I...I would like that."

Seamus stepped forward with a puzzled and calculating expression on his face. "Not that I love that you and Bunny are getting along now, I think it's amazing, great, and less stress for me, but are we just gonna ignore the part where you said that YOU'RE the new GUARDIAN!? And you have been since EASTER!?"

"I'll give you one chance, and one chance only to apologize for raising your voice to me." Jack warned with a serious expression.

"I-I'm sorry, it's...just...I'm sorry for raising my voice, Father, but it's just that...you're a Guardian!?"

"Yup! I'm the Guardian of Fun." Jack stated proudly. "However, I do need your help with getting Pitch. It's not going to be easy at all, and I need everyone I can get. We HAVE to get him out of the hole."

"And into my castle." I breathed out with an apologetic tone.

"WHAT!? Why would we do a stupid thing like that!?" Jasmine questioned with concerned eyes.

"Because..." I started. "...Pitch Black isn't who you think he is. Pitch Black is just a name for the darkness that envelopes the man the darkness has taken over. The man under the darkness, trapped like a marionette...is my twin brother...Kozmotis."

"Wait...so...we're going to rescue...our great uncle?" Ronan asked with widened eyes."

"That's right." Jack answered with a hint of pride. "However, the part I need your help with is getting him OUT of the hole. After the, I think I can handle things from there. Now, Mother Nature doesn't know what we're doing, so...if someone wants to go back to her Domain with her and wait for us to hopefully return with my Uncle, then please do so now."

"I'll go." Ronan spoke up. "I'm still in training anyway."

"Sounds good. Let's get back to the pond. The others are waiting for us, and they want to meet you."

"Right, about that, how do they know about us?"

"They went through my memories as a child and as a spirit."

"Wait...so you really did have a mortal life? You weren't born like us?" Jasmine asked as she looked back and forth between me and Jack. "I thought..."

"What did you think?" Jack tilted his head in slight confusion.

"Well, we all thought..." Seamus started with wide eyes. "...that our Grandmother just wasn't around anymore and that neither of you would talk about it. We thought that Grandfather...was really your Father."

"He is." Jack sighed out. "I was born with a mortal Mom and Dad, I had a little sister, and I died saving my little sister. It was 1712, and I was 14. We went out onto the ice, but it cracked beneath both of us. I distracted her with a game of hopscotch and got her to safer ice...but I had switched places with her when I finally flung her to the thicker ice with my staff. I fell in almost immediately and drowned. Manny brought me back to life, gave me my name, most of my powers...but perhaps..." Jack looked at me and smirked. "Perhaps Manny knew what you were about to do on the night we met."

"I..." My eyes widened and I let out a shocked chuckle. "That's entirely possible."

"Right, so, Manny gave me my name and most of my powers...but nothing else. I've had amnesia for the past three hundred years."

"So...how is Grandfather really your Father?" Ronan questioned with pure confusion in his eyes, and I couldn't blame him.

"Jack had flown into me and knocked me out of the sky. We landed on his pond and we both got scratched up. I hadn't used healing magic in a VERY long time at that point, but he had an injury on his head. I healed it, realizing I had an injury on my hand that I was using...and at some point, I found I couldn't move my hand, but I didn't question it. However, what I did was more than just heal Jack. In my time, LONG ago, there was a type of ancient and forbidden magic, but because of my lineage...I was able to do it without practice. I just didn't realize I had done it at the time. Before the three of you were born I had already adopted Jack as my own son based on his request, but then I saw his memories and saw what I had done...the magic I had preformed completely replaced his Father's DNA with my own. He IS my son. Because of what I did, he's biologically mine, which makes the three of you my biological Grandchildren...which opens a lot more questions." I pinched the bridge of my nose, knowing what the next question was going to be.

"What do you mean by Lineage?" Jasmine asked carefully.

"Well...Jack figured it out later, but...in my old life, back in my time...I...it may help to tell you all that I'm not actually from this planet and neither is Mother Nature or Bunny for that matter. I was a prince, my twin brother was in the most basic sense...a king. That means that Jack is a prince, and the three of you are a princess and princes."

"I'M A PRINCESS!? SERIOUSLY!? Our Father is a prince!? Our Grandfather was a prince!? Our Great Uncle was a KING!?"

"YES!" I laughed out as did Jack.

"Wait...Bunny...wasn't born human or rabbit?" Jasmine gaped up at Bunny, who started rubbing the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"Well, I wanted to tell ya, but I had no idea how to bring that up. Yeah, I'm not from this planet. Ya see...what I am...there was an entire planet filled with my kind. An entire world, but I'm the last of my kind. I'm what's known as a Pooka, and I knew Sandy way back in his day, and I was an adult when his brother was an infant."

"So, you're pretty old huh?" Jasmine questioned and instantly Bunny's ears went back in anxiety and worry as he nodded his head. "And...you're the last of your kind?" Another nod as he looked to the ground.

"Well, perhaps the two of you will change that." Jack smirked, and I stared at him with a dropped jaw. "What, it should be possible if he's in his human form."

"F-FATHER!" Jasmine squeaked with a flushed face.

"JACK!" Bunny blinked at him in shock.

"In case you forgot Bunny, I didn't JUST give you my permission. I gave you my blessing, and I trust you with my daughter."

"Jack, you're basically asking them to have kids!" I told him, still in a state of shock as my heart pounded at such a dangerous pace, I feared I might actually die of a heart attack, and that is SO not how I planned on dying!

"Nah, really? Hadn't noticed!" He chuckled out with a shake of his head. "It's true though, isn't it, Bunny? If the two of you have children, you won't be the last of your kind anymore."

"Th-That's right, but I...I mean...wait... _blessing?_ "

"Wow, for a bunny you're pretty slow." He smirked. "I gave you my blessing to marry my daughter. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. The two of you have been together for SO long."

"W-Well...I-I  _had_  thought about it..." Bunny turned to face Jasmine, who's eyes widened a great deal at his words. "J-Jasmine Rose Frost...w-will ya marry me?"

"YES!" She shouted as she jumped up and kissed him again.

"Well then..." Jack chuckled out as he waited for their kiss to end. "So, any other questions?"

"F-Father?" Seamus began, catching my attention, because usually it was Ronan who sounded timid, not Seamus.

"Yes?" Jack asked with a concerned expression, because he knew the same thing.

"Did you...I mean...did you really die?" His question caught the attention of Ronan and Jasmine as they looked at Jack with heartache, and in Seamus' eyes, tears were threatening to fall.

"Yes, I really died." Jack breathed out. Seamus' tears did start to fall as he stepped closer to Jack. "Seamus what are you-?" Before Jack could continue, Seamus had his arms around Jack, sobbing into his shoulder. Jack returned the hug and rubbed up and down his back. "It's alright, Seamus."

"Y-You DIED!" He shouted in between sobs. "H-How is that alright!?

"Because, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met your mother and therefore, I wouldn't have had three amazing children. I also wouldn't have met everyone else either, but if I hadn't died and became a spirit, then...I would've never had you three." Jack pushed Seamus away a bit once his crying had calmed down, and he wiped the rest of his tears away. "It's alright, Seamus."

Seamus nodded his head, breathing as calmly as he could. "I-If you say it is...then...it is."

"Good. Now, let's get back to the pond. Ronan, when we get back...you can't tell Mother Nature what we're doing. It's going to be a surprise."

"Understood."

_**oOoOoOoOo** _

Once we made it back to the pond, North, Tooth, and Mother Nature were waiting patiently for us. "So, how did your race go?"

"It went great!" Jack chuckled as he flew towards her.

"No kiddin'." Bunny chuckled warmly as he held Jasmine's hand in his paw, and I simply shook my head with a bright smile on my face.

'It's about damn time.' I thought, and I noticed Jack's grin only grow at my thought.

"Bunny and I are engaged now."

"Oh my goodness!" Mother Nature smiled and looked at Jack. "And you're okay with this?"

"I've BEEN okay with it."

I watched with wide eyes as Tooth walked up to Seamus and smiled at him. "Hi, my name is Toothiana, but most people just call me Tooth."

Seamus' eyes widened for a moment before a smile appeared on his face. He gave a gentlemanly bow while still looking up at her. "Pleasure to meet you, Toothiana." He stood up and gave her a soft smile. "My name is Seamus Orion Frost. According to Cupid, you're my True Love at First Sight. I'm sure she'll be pleased to know she wasn't wrong...on my end that is."

_'Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it, Jack?'_

_'It seems it just landed on the branch just below.'_  He let out a slight chuckle in his mind that only I could hear as we watched Tooth blush at his words with a bright smile.

"She um...wasn't wrong on my end either."

"Is that so?" He grinned, before turning to face Jack. "Father, with your permission, I would like to court the Tooth Fairy."

"What!?" She squeaked with a wide smile, and if possible, her blush was deepening.

"You don't need to ask my permission, but you have it." Jack nodded his head as he gave a delighted smile.

Seamus nodded his head as he turned to face Tooth, and he gently grabbed both of her hands, lifting them up to kiss them. "Would that be alright with you, Toothiana?"

"I...yes, I would like that very much."

"Good." He smirked as he released her hands.

"Well, with that done with..." Mother Nature trailed off with a highly amused face. "I'm sure Jasmine wants to catch up with Bunny and Seamus and Tooth have a lot to talk about. Ronan, do you want to stay here with them, or do you want to continue training?"

"I would like to continue training." He answered with a polite nod, and with that, they went through a portal.


	11. Chapter 11

Once they were gone, I placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Alright, so, Jasmine and Seamus know that we're going to try and rescue Kozmotis. However, all they need to do is help us get him out of the hole. From there, Jack will take the lead. When do we start?"

"We're here, and we know where the hole WAS..." Bunny started. "...we should start as soon as we can, but I gotta ask...why do we have to get him out of the hole?"

"Because, that place is darkness everywhere. Who knows what's creeping and crawling in it?" Jack shivered at the thought, and I nodded.

"Jack's right." I told them. "We have to get him out of there. He can't be near that much darkness. We won't be able to able him that way."

"Right, so what do you want me and Seamus to do?" Jasmine questioned with a determined look in her eyes.

"We need the two of you to come down there with us, and fight him until he escapes through the hole." I looked to Jack and sent an apologetic smile. "It's not going to be easy, but as long as we get him out, we should be okay."

Jack nodded his head and flew over to where the hole was, and we all followed him. Once there, Bunny tapped the ground twice with his foot, making the hole large enough for all of us. Jack was the first to jump down as the rest of us followed him. Once we all landed, we followed Jack through the cavern, and he had his staff at the ready. "PITCH BLACK!" Jack shouted when we were all out in the open.

"Oh, WHAT do you want! You already one you blasted...hang on...is that...the General of Spring and...the Leprechaun!? And...that man..." Pitch appeared in front of us and stared at me with a calculative expression. "Do I...know you?"

"You don't, but the person you're wearing does."

"Oh, smart, and with those words...you must be from the Golden Age. My, my...I didn't know many others had survived. So, what do you want?" He turned his gaze to Jack who blinked up at him in surprise.

"What, not going to try and attack us?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

"What good would it do? I'm weak! I went from the strength of a God to a powerless pitiful spirit. Not to mention I've been trapped in a hole for MONTHS!"

"Huh...and here I thought we were going to have to fight you." Jack pursed his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We even had a plan and everything."

"What...push me FURTHER into the ground!? Really!?"

"Not at all, in fact." Jack answered with a bright smile. "We were going to let you out."

"Pardon?"

"Funny, that's what you're getting." Jack nodded his head. "Come outside with us."

Jack walked away and I watched in awe as Pitch followed with a nearly hypnotized expression. We followed the two of them out and I couldn't believe it was that easy, but the longer I look at him as I stood next to Jack. "This is too easy." Bunny commented.

Jack shook his head with a slight smile and reached for Pitch's hands. Once he grabbed them, we all held our breath while Pitch's eyes widened a great deal. "My name is Jackson Overland Frost. We met when I was a young boy around the age of six or seven and I offered you friendship. I'm still offering it now, but I'm also offering family. You don't have to be afraid anymore. The world DOES need fear, but in small healthy doses. So, perhaps I can help you, and you can get believed in slowly but surely. What do you say? Wanna be friends?" Jack's hands started glowing along with his whole body, and that glow soon enveloped around Pitch.

We all heard Pitch scream, but none of us could move. The light was almost blinding and my heart was pounding with fear and worry that Jack would be hurt and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. Suddenly the glowing stopped and I saw two people in front of Jack. One was obviously fully Pitch black as he was a complete shade with glowing golden eyes, and still trying to catch his breath was my brother wearing Pitch's clothes. Without warning, the shade started attacking us with an animalistic growl. It held a scythe, and it's eyes glowed a menacing molten gold. "JACK!" I shouted as I held it off using my whips.

"B-Brother!?"

"Long story, Kozzy!" I told him as I watched Bunny's boomerang go flying. "Jasmine, tie him up! Seamus, can you possibly wound him?"

"Aye!" He shouted, the accent he gained from Grace thickening as it usually did in battle or during sparring matches. I watched with great relief as Jasmine started tying him up at the same time a violent thunderstorm rolled in with bolts of lightning touching the ground, but creeping up behind the shade.

"Seamus!" Jack laughed out. "When were you gonna tell me you've grown to be such an adept storm spirit!?"

"Rainbows have to happen somehow, Father." He laughed, and then just as a lightning bolt struck the shade, I looked over to see Kozmotis grab it out of thin air before it could strike. "WHAT THE HELL!?"

Kozmotis stood with the lightning bolt in his hand and held another hand over it. "Everyone from the Golden Age has a bit of hidden magic. I had more than two, which made me a bit different. I can manipulate lightning and turn it into a weapon." He glided his hand down the still cracking and writhing bolt, and quickly turned it into a sword with a pure purple blade and golden hilt with a golden hand guard wrapping around with a pattern of stars and moons gaping through the swirling design. He glared at the shade and ran him through with his sword, causing him to explode in a bright shining light, leaving no trace of shadows, and forcing us to cover our eyes to the brightness of the light.

Once the light faded completely we all allowed our vision to adjust. When I could finally see clearly I saw Kozmotis coming towards me, sheathing his new sword in a sheath he had made for it out of the same lightning bolt. "Brother?" He asked me once more and now that we weren't fighting I felt like I could relax, but in doing so, my heart pounded with Joy and Hope at seeing my brother and General again.

"It's me, Kozzy." I told him with a wide smile. "I was Sandy the Sandman."

"I-I know. I...I recognized you by your eyes when you fought with the Guardians the first time against me."

"So I hear." I chuckled.

He then turned to face Jack who had just joined my side. "Y-You." Was all he could apparently say.

"Me." Jack nodded. "Nice to see you again, Uncle Kozzy."

His eyes widened almost comically so as he blinked at me. "UNCLE!?"

"Ah, about that..."

"Jack, you were born mortal! You were born with rare magic as it was. It was light magic, but I cold tell you were born mortal! Wh-What?"

I placed my hands on his shoulders to try and calm him down. "Kozzy...listen to me. It was an accident. He accidentally flew into me while we were both in mid flight and we got injured in our landing. My palm got cut, but I noticed that there was a gash on the side of his head. I moved to heal it and...well..."

"You...you know...that has many names, that magic you used. It...It's blood magic, Brother."

"I know, and I didn't know I could do it. Hell! I didn't know that I DID do it until we went through Jack's memories. However, because of the magic I preformed, Jack's my biological son and has been since December 25th, 1712. That makes him your nephew, and his three children...your biological great niece and nephews."

"WH-WHAT!?" He shouted with widened eyes as he staggered back a bit, quickly held up by Jasmine and Seamus. He looked at them both and his eyes narrowed on Seamus. "You...you called Jack...Father."

"That I did." He answered with a proud smile. "The woman holding your other arm is my older sister."

"Yes, and Seamus' twin brother is currently away, but we can go see him."

"Twins, huh?" He smirked at Jack, who nodded with a proud smirk. He then looked up at North and Tooth. "I...I apologize for everything."

"It wasn't your fault." North replied as he crossed his arms with a relieved smile. "You were possessed for lack of better word."

"Thank you." He nodded, but then his eyes caught Bunny and he immediately started walking towards him with his head lowered in shame. "A-Aster." He breathed out, but with a smile on my face, I watched as Bunny immediately wrapped his arms around Kozmotis. "A-Aster!? Wh-What are you doing?"

"I know it's been a long time, mate, but I kinda figured you'd know a hug when ya get one." I saw tears falling from Bunny's eyes, dampening his fur while he hugged him tighter. "I missed ya. I couldn't believe it was you who destroyed my home world. I couldn't believe that you would ever do that to me. I had to believe that you were still in there somewhere! I had to believe that my best friend...that you didn't truly die."

"Ah, so that's why you said I couldn't be your best friend." Seamus chuckled.

"Sorry, mate." Bunny grinned, not letting go of the hug once Kozmotis quickly wrapped his arms around him.

"Fine by me."

"I missed you too, Aster! You have no idea!" Tears began falling from Kozmotis' eyes. The same tears that I had noticed had only threatened to fall when he saw me.

"Oi!" Bunny smirked as he finally released the hug. "I want ya to meet my girlfriend." Bunny changed into human form, shocking Kozmotis.

"In all the time that I've known you, I've only seen you change into a human when it was something serious."

"That it is, mate. That it is. Actually...girlfriend ain't the right term anymore. She's my fiance now. Got her Father's blessin' and everythin'." Jasmine smirked as she rolled her eyes with a shake of her head before stepping to stand by Bunny's side.

"Hello, Great Uncle Kozzy. My name is Jasmine Rose Frost, and I am Bunny's fiance."

"Really, now? Does everyone here no Bunny's full name?"

"Yeah, he told it to us in a meeting after I became a Guardian." Jack answered with a small smile.

"Well then...has he told you?" Kozmotis asked her and she nodded her head.

"He told me a long time ago."

"Then use it proudly. You'll soon be calling him it everyday." When I saw my brother smile, my heart cried before my eyes did.

"Right." She nodded her head with confidence as she held Bunny's hand. "My name is Jasmine Rose Frost, and I am Elm Aster Bunnymund's fiance."

"There we go. So...I don't...really know what to do from here." He turned to me for answers and I looked at Jack.

"Jack, I think before we continue with our plan he should have a room in the Domain, don't you?"

"Of course!" Jack flew swiftly to the middle of the pond and tapped his staff, creating a golden portal. "Come on everyone. You can see my home in person."

We all went through, and Kozmotis' jaw dropped. "Th-This is..."

"I know, c'mon. You need a room of your own. The door knobs are enchanted and so are the dressers and closets, so everything in your room will be as it was in our old home. The whole entire castle is already a perfect replica, but you'll just have to deal with having the room next to Jack's."

As we walked through I heard him chuckle low with a bright smile. "A room next to my nephew...the same nephew that saved me...oh parish the thought." Once we made it up to his door, he grabbed the handle, causing the door to alter from a golden door, to the green, gold, and black door he originally had for his room, and when he opened the room, I heard him let out a sob. "I-I'm h-home."

My heart did a violent yet joyful clench as a wide smile appeared on my face. "Yes, you are. Now, you need to get dressed. I highly doubt you want to wear those any longer, and there's some place we need to be."

"Oh? Am I dressing formal?"

"You know what? No. Dress as if it were going to be a lazy day. You know, loose shirt, pants, boots. Nothing too fancy. Maybe take a shower while you're at it, just in case."

"Ouch!" He laughed out, but nodded his head. "Alright, alright. Give me some time and yes...I would like to burn the clothes I'm wearing. I would like to burn them into the largest possible fire, and have their ashes spread in Bunny's warren for irony."

"You won't hearing me say no." Bunny chuckled lightly. "We'll be downstairs waitin' for ya."

"Thanks...Thank you for everything. All of you." We all nodded at him and went to wait in the living room that was just outside the overly large entry way.

After about forty-five minutes, Kozmotis finally came down and nothing could stop the burst of joy I kept having at seeing my brother. He was really here. He was alive, awake, well, and dressed as I usually saw him on a lazy day. He never would just wear a shirt, pants, and boots. He would wear something similar to what I would wear around the castle with Jack. He wore an emerald green dress shirt, a black dress vest with golden edges and golden swirls embroidered into the pattern, black dress pants, and black boots. His peach colored skin that was so similar to my own was obviously a lot cleaner, his eyes shined like the purest silver, and his hair was ebony black just like his daughter's and combed neatly back. "You know...I said lazy day, right?" I asked him once he made it into the entry way.

"Brother, this is a lazy day for me. Anything else, and I would be nearly indecent like you always were."

"I wasn't indecent, I was comfortable. Now, we should get going. You'll meet Jack's other son. His name is Ronan. Jasmine is the General of Spring, Seamus is the Leprechaun, and Ronan...Seamus' twin brother...is the Groundhog."

"Very well." He nodded, and I just knew this was going to be the best surprise of all.

"Jack, can you summon a portal into Mother Nature's Domain?" I asked him and he nodded as he tapped the butt of his staff twice on the ground, creating a green portal. "Kozmotis and I will go in just before Jack. Everyone else go on ahead."

Once we were all through, Kozmotis took in the large black castle. "This is the Groundhog's home?" He questioned with a voice of awe.

"Not exactly." I chuckled lightly. "Jack, can you please...?"

"On it!" He laughed out merrily as he flew off to go get them.

About ten minutes later we heard Mother Nature practically protesting, and I saw Kozmotis instantly stiffen at the sound of her voice as his eyes went wide, and his breath visibly and audibly got caught in his throat. "Jack! What are you doing! I was in the middle of training Ronan, and...!" She glanced for a brief moment at us, but then her eyes widened considerably as she quickly turned her gaze back to us.

"E-Emily?" Kozmotis stuttered out in almost a whisper. He stepped forward and she stepped back, Hope clearly WANTING to shine in her eyes, but she kept forcing it back as she slowly shook her head. "Emily, it's me! It's...I'm...well...I don't...I don't know what you would call me now, but..."

"N-No...you can't...be. M-My Father is...he was...he's dead. He...the darkness overtook him and killed him...it...the darkness used his body and voice and...you...can't be. This is...it's a trick! Jack! H-How could you be s-so cruel!?" She looked at him and her tears started to fall before she looked to the ground and fell to her knees.

"It's not trick, Emily." I told her calmly, not moving from my spot as I notice the look of pure heartache dance across my brother's face. "Jack saved him. Jack was born a mortal...with light magic...however, because of...because of me using blood magic on him accidentally...he became my biological son and his light magic increased to Golden Age magic. Jack has Light and Soul magic as his hidden magic. He separated Kozmotis from Pitch, and your Father killed Pitch.

She looked up at me with a waterfall of tears streaming down her cheeks as Hope flashed in her eyes and stayed. "You...you've never once lied, Uncle."

"That's right. So, what did I just say?"

With that she slowly stood, staring at her Father with wide eyes. "I-It's...It's really you?"

"Emily...my sweet Emily Jane..." He started to choke out a sob as he smiled at her. "I'm really here. Sandy's telling the truth."

She wasted no time. She practically flew to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and Kozmotis wrapped his arms around her, one hand petting her long wavy and curly ebony hair. They both let out shaky sighs as they held one another, and watched as Ronan appeared behind Jack. "It went well?" He asked Jack, and received a quiet nod.

"Very, it seems." He hummed lightly.

When Mother Nature finally let go of her Father she looked into his eyes and wiped away his tears. "Y-You're really here."

"Yes, I am."

"A-And Jack...Wait..." Her eyes suddenly went wide and her face quickly paled. "JACK IS REALLY MY COUSIN!?" She blinked at me in pure shock and astonishment as she lowered her arms to wipe away her own tears. "He's not...he's not LIKE a cousin? You...you preformed Blood Magic!?"

"On accident, but yes. Jack is now a prince of the Golden Age. His children also share the same titles by right and..."

"No, that's not right." Mother Nature shook her head with an amused smile. "Jasmine, Ronan, and Seamus, come stand in front of me." They did as she asked and she let out a short joyful sigh. "Now...you all have heard of the Generals of Seasons."

"Obviously." Ronan stated. "Our sister is a General."

"Yes, well, there's more to that title than you know. My Generals are named such to remind me of the title my Father used to hold. Lord High General of the Galaxies...see since Sandy preformed blood magic, you're pure nobility from the Golden Age, but...before we knew that...your Mother is the Snow QUEEN, and your Father is the General of Winter, making him...according to ALL spirits, but the three of you, because we never told you...and other's expected you to know...him being the General of Winter...makes him the KING of Winter. However, that also makes Jasmine the Queen of Spring, but the point is...you were not only born of Golden Age nobility, but of nobility of the Earth."

"S-so..." Seamus started with a smirk and widened eyes as he turned to face Tooth. "...I'm a prince...courting a Queen?"

"Seems so." Jack grinned at the small blush that appeared on his son's face, and I couldn't help but follow.

"Hmm..." Mother Nature grinned. "...hey, Father...I know that time travel is HIGHLY forbidden by EVERYONE in the Golden Age...ESPECIALLY the Pooka, but...perhaps you won't be too upset with me. Stay there. There's someone I think you'll want to meet."

_'Jack...who's she talking about?'_

_'Ah, that's right...you haven't met her, because I'm mostly winter and there was no reason for you to meet her. Well, let's just say that despite not meeting her or me introducing her...you should know who the General of Summer is. Emily told me of her old life, and that led to her introduction of the General of Summer, and I promised I wouldn't tell you. I didn't know why then, but now...it makes sense.'_

His words seemed to confuse me more. That is, until five minutes later when she came back with a woman a little taller than her with ruby red hair, sky blue eyes, ivory skin, with freckles littering her shoulders, cheeks, and nose. She wore a sunset gradient dress that had short sleeves, moons and stars at the bottom that brushed against her ankles, and she was barefoot. I immediately darted my dropped jaw and wide eyes to Kozmotis, who wore a similar expression. I then looked behind me to gauge Bunny's reaction and he nodded his head with an approving smile. 'I'll allow it.' Bunny mouthed at me when he saw my reaction.

"S-S-Seranna!?" Kozmotis stuttered out, and I couldn't speak at all. Soon, I watched as they finally stopped in front of him, and he knelt down, bowing his head. "M-My love! I-I...y-you're as beautiful as the day I left. I...I...there are no w-words t-to describe how s-sorry I-"

Seranna knelt down in front of him, brought a hand under his chin, tilting it up so she could look him in the eyes, and as soon as she smiled at him, I saw his eyes fill with joy, hope, wonder, and love. "I love you, Kozmotis Pitchiner. Your brave daughter traveled back in time, kidnapped me, brought me to Earth back in Earth's mid 1700's, and she explained everything. Because of my power, she made me the General of Summer. Stand, my love." She commanded as she stood once more in a regal manner as she looked at him with all the love and care in the world.

He quickly stood to his feet as he still stared at her in shock. "I'm..."

"If you tell me your sorry for something you didn't do, I'm going to spar with you here and now." She smirked, and I couldn't help the scoff of laughter that escaped my lips, because Kozmotis never ONCE won in a sparring match against her in all the time they had known each other.

Instead of a nod or words for an answer, he quickly pulled her closer by wrapping an arm around her back while his other hand gently grabbed the back of her neck, and he pulled her in for a deep, passionate, and needy kiss. I shook my head with a soft smile as I started to relax, but I don't think I would get used to seeing Seranna for at least a good three months. When they stopped kissing, she seemed to go a bit weak kneed, which caused an amused smirk on my face, because even though Kozmotis treated her like a Goddess and someone far higher than him...and she ACTED it while still being a perfectly humble lady showing him all the love and devotion anyone would be lucky to have...if he gave her a kiss, she was destroyed in that instant and goes from being treated and acting like a humble Goddess, to love struck woman being kissed by a King. "I've missed you so. I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"Honestly, neither did I." She grinned through her dreamy daze, that was amusing me more and more by the second. Then she slid her gaze to me and her eyes widened. "Oh? How are you here?" She quickly composed herself and I gave a short and quick gentlemanly bow.

"Sanderson...there's no need for that. You're the one that introduced me to Kozmotis. You were also born of far higher status than me so..."

"Say what you will, my lady..." I smirked. "...you're my brother's wife, which means you deserve my respect. I am here just like I've always been. I am the Sandman. The Guardian of Dreams. I don't know if you've seen me in passing, but outside of my Domain I was much shorter and had spiky hair. Manny recently gave me my original form as a gift, and...a long time ago..." I waved at Jack to come here and he nodded his head as he walked to stand by my side. "...this mischievous, rebellious, devoted, cunning, and Fun winter spirit flew into me, sending both of us tumbling to the ground...sustaining injuries. I hadn't known it at the time, and only recently found out, but it certainly explains things in the long run, but...with my cut palm and the gash on his head, I accidentally preformed Blood Magic and made him my biological son, which he is completely okay with, but...this is your nephew, and I'm sure you know his children."

"My goodness!" She gave a bright smile to Jack.

"Oh, and Jasmine is now engaged to Bunny."

"W-Well!" She laughed out in joyous surprise as she held Kozmotis' hand in her hers. "The family sure has grown."

"Oh, and Seamus is courting Tooth."

"Is there anyone for Ronan?"

"Yes." Ronan answered proudly. When he talked about her, his timidness usually went away, and he spoke as calmly as ever with a soft smile. "Cupid got involved with it, and I'm glad she did. She shot me with my arrow which was soulmate, and I've been married to her since then. I had Cupid marry us on the spot."

"To who, sweetie?" Seranna asked, and as I turned to face North, Tooth, and Bunny, they were all staring wide eyed in shock, but it wasn't real common knowledge that the Groundhog was married, let alone that Cupid was allowed by Manny to preform marriage ceremonies.

"The spirit of Death. She's also the spirit of Halloween. She has two things to rule over. Her name is Helen Eve Frost."

"YOU married DEATH!?" Bunny shouted in shock.

Ronan smiled brilliantly as he nodded his head. "Yes, and as soon as Cupid explained we were soulmates, I asked her if it would be too much trouble just to get married then and there. Helen was particularly joyful at the idea and repeated my question. So, we got married the very day we met and have been married since October 31st, 1960. She told me that she used to flirt with Father and that she was sorry. I told her that was fine as long as she stopped. Most spirits would flirt with Father until they found out he was married."

"The family keeps growing!" Seranna squealed in delight as she hugged Kozmotis' arm. He was till wearing a dreamy and joyful expression as he seemed to simply drink in her presence like a man in a desert. "Oh! Sandy! Careful! You're liable to become a Great Grandfather! Oh...and who knows...maybe Cupid will find someone for you!"

"He has someone on her arrow list." Jack piped up and I blinked at him surprise as I crossed my arms. He turned to face me with an all too knowing smile and nodded his head. "You, Father, have a True Soulmate."

"And...just how different is that from a regular soulmate?" I asked him, expecting him to know with that broadening smirk.

"It's a shorter name for the love that me and Grace have. Love at First Sight, True Love, and Soulmate. I've seen the arrow with your name. We should go speak with her after this." He turned to face Mother Nature who still had a few stray tears falling. "How about a feast, Emily?"

"I think that would be a grand idea." North bellowed out. "Great big feast to celebrate friends and growing family!"

"Very well." Emily nodded. "Only on one condition." She eyed me with a hopeful and questioning look.

I scoffed out a gentle laugh as I nodded my head. "The banquet will be held in my Domain in my castle." The instant cheers nearly busted my eardrums, but my heart was happy and oh so full, and there was one person to blame for ALL of this.  _'Jack, thank you SO much for flying into me on accident. Thank you so much for spending time with me. Thank you for being there. Thank you for WANTING me as your Father LONG before either of us knew what really happened. Thank you for living with me. Thank you for filling the void that was a black hole for the longest time! Thank you for being my son! All of this happiness, all of this family reunion and new beginnings is thanks to you flying into me. I...I can't thank you enough, and I could never hope to repay you for returning my brother to me along with giving me far more than I deserve. You became my son, you married a good woman, giving me a daughter in law, and then you had three amazing, kind, gentle, patient, loud, wonderful, hopeful, and fun children. However, you didn't stop there! You allowed your daughter to be with Bunny...and...your twin boys have their matches. You've done more than you likely realize, and I am so thankful for you.'_

_'Thank you for being my Father.'_

His words were so simple, yet I could feel in my heart, they held everything that needed saying from him.  _'I'll always love you, my son. Now, about Cupid...'_

_**oOoOoOoOo** _

It's been a week since my brother was reunited with everyone, and Jack FINALLY relented and agreed to get Cupid to meet with me so that I might discuss who my soulmate was. We waited on my dream cloud above his pond, and soon I saw her flying towards us. "Mama Cupid!" Jack shouted with an airy laugh as he waved at her.

"Jack, sweetie! Always nice to see you, but why have you decided to meet me so late."

"Well, Sandy has a question for you."

"S-Sandy!?" She questioned as she gaped at me.

"Oh, right...um...well, Manny gave him his original form back. This is what he looked like in his old life and who he is now."

A blush appeared on her features and I couldn't help the small grin. "I'm the reason he called you."

"O-Oh?" She blinked with widened eyes, but they quickly took one more blink and looked at Jack with fury in them. "YOU TOLD HIM!?"

"Nope." Jack giggled.

"No?" She asked as her blush deepened.

"Nope." He repeated with a smirk. "But I believe you just did."

My eyes widened at his words as I quickly put two and two together, but I wasn't going to say anything yet. She turned to face me, and I swear if she got any redder, she would be the color of her holiday. Pure Ruby Red. "I-I know who you're meant to be with, Sandman."

"Judging from your reaction to Jack, I figured it out." I let out an amused chuckle while my heart pounded. Cupid was beautiful. There was no doubt. You would have to be a fool not to realize it. She was plump, but not overly so, and her breasts as well as her hips curved nicely. I had always admired her looks in passing whenever I would see her, but I couldn't possibly imagine my luck as she floats in front of me with a furious blush as she fidgeted with her red sweater, brushing her knuckles against her black jeans. I've known Cupid for far longer than most, and we had been friends for a long time. She was kind, gracious, witty, sweet, and I had always wondered why she seemed bashful around me. "Is this why you were always bashful around me? Did you know since the day we met?"

She nodded her head frantically. "I...after you left...after I first met you...I felt a new arrow in my arrow holder. I took it out, and...well...it had my name and your name on it. We're True Soulmates. However, before I saw it on the arrow, I saw it written on your soul and it took me by surprise."

"Who's name was first on the arrow?" I asked with a cheeky grin, knowing the answer. When her eyes flitted up at me for a fraction of a second, I chuckled low, and heard Jack next to me do the same, but I was going to ignore him for now. I walked towards her, extending my dream cloud just slightly so that there was sand underneath her once I was right in front of her. I lifted her chin up with the side of my right index finger and I gently placed my lips to her's, sending a shiver down my own spine. I wrapped my arms around her while she sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around me to hold herself up. When I left her lips, I had to catch her and hold her up for a moment. "I don't think you'll be needing that arrow." I smirked.

"I um...that...uh...I...wow."

It took about ten minutes for her to become steady and coherent again, but once she was I looked at Jack and he was grinning like a fool. I turned my gaze back to her and let out a soft laugh. "You know...I have a son. Jack is my son and his children are my Grandchildren. If...If we get married, are you prepared to take that on?"

"M-Married!?"

"Will you?" I asked her as I gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. "If we're True Soulmates, it's inevitable, right?"

"R-Right!" She smiled and nodded her head quickly. "Um...I could do that now, if you like."

"That would be nice." Jack imputed with a delighted smile.

"W-Well then!" She laughed out and it was music to my ears. "Is this why you started calling me Mama Cupid after I told you?"

"This is EXACTLY why." He nodded with mirthful eyes.

"Well..." She cleared her throat before grabbing my left wrist with her left hand. I understood and I grabbed her left wrist with my left hand. "S-Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner, do you take me, Josephine Liliana Valentina as your wife. To have and to hold for all of eternity, for ill or well, for every dark day and joyful day we'll share until the very last star dies?"

"I do." I breathed out, my heart beating so hard and joyfully, I was sure she could hear it. "Josephine Liliana Valentina, do you take me, Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner as your husband. To have and to hold for eternity, for ill or well, for every dark day and joyful day we'll share until the very last star dies?"

"I do!" At her word, our ring fingers started glowing brightly, and soon, replaced by the glow, was a golden wedding band. Mine was thicker than her's, but her's also suited her rather well. As I looked closer though, I noticed there was an intricate design on the outside of it, and my eyes widened at it. It was the language from the Golden Age. "Josephine?"

I looked up at her, and apparently me just saying her name was enough to make her swoon, because I had to catch her again. I let out a short laugh as I shook my head. "Josephine, as much as I'm sure enjoy hearing your name come from my lips, I need to know, why our wedding bands have the language from the Golden Age."

"O-Oh...well, um...your family and Bunny weren't the only ones to survive it and land to Earth." She composed herself and patted down her sweater. I looked to see if Jack knew, but he was just as shocked as I was.

"Who...who were you in the Golden Age?"

"I'm wounded, Sanderson." At her words my eyes widened and I staggered back a bit. It was a phrase that I only heard from my second in command. She was just beneath me in rank, and she was my best friend in the League of Star Captains.

"I...but...you're name is different!"

"Of course it is! Hello? Pitch Black was on Earth too!"

"Well, she seems more composed now." Jack chuckled out. "So, who were you, Mama Cupid?"

"Before I tell you..." She looked at me with patient eyes and a furious blush. "...you still haven't kissed the bride."

I quickly pulled her in for a kiss similar but deeper to the one I had already given her, and with the new information, that shiver up my spine turned into a fire, but that could wait. I released the kiss, and once again I had to catch her. We waited for her to become steady and composed before I said anything. "Josephine?"

"R-Right." She nodded her head. "Damn, I am NOT gonna get used to that." She cleared her throat and gave another nod of her head before turning to face Jack. "Sandy here was the top general of the League of Star Captains. The only other higher in command than him was his brother Kozmotis Pitchiner. I was Sandy's second in command, and was smitten with him the day I met him. Then, when I came here, a VERY long time ago, my appearance changed slightly much like his did, but not as drastically."

"You're curvier." I stated with an appreciative smile.

"I-Is that bad?"

"Trust me...that's not bad at all." At my words Jack let out a snort of a laugh and her entire body went red with a blush.

"A-Anyway...I um...yeah...I was his second in command, but...I'm curious..." She started playing with her hands with a curious expression and I nodded my head.

"I had a crush on you too, Josephine."

"Wait, I thought you said that you didn't find anyone to love."

"No, I didn't, because quite frankly I considered her out of my league. We were both nobility, and even though my brother and I were part of THE most noble family...she was everything a man could ever want in my opinion. She was kind, gracious, witty, mischievous, fierce, gentle, patient, and beautiful to boot, but I have to say...she's completely and utterly gorgeous as she is now. So, when I told you I didn't find anyone to love enough to have children with...I meant that I never pursued the one woman I was actually interested in."

"W-Way back then!?" She squeaked and I nodded my head. She gave me a brilliant smile, but it quickly turned into a calculative purse of her lips as she looked at Jack. "I...well...you're...Jack, can I ask you something, sweetie, and you can say no. I understand."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well...I...it's forbidden, but it's already been done...but...since...since Sandy and I knew each other all those years ago...you've told me of the past you discovered, and I don't want to disgrace that any, so you can tell me no, but...could I...preform the same Blood Magic that Sandy did with you?"

"You...want me as your biological son?" Both of our eyes widened, because we both understood what that meant. It would make Jack completely of the Golden Age, and it would make him her son too...making her his mother.

"You can say no. I don't want to disrespect your mother any. I know your sister was also special, but..."

"...but that was a long time ago, and I already have Sandy's blood in my veins. My mother never really supported the Guardians much, but she did always tell me to do what my heart told me to do, and to not question it no matter what, because if I did...something good would likely come from it." Jack held out his hand and conjured an ice dagger, and I gasped in shock as he cut his palm. "I think she would've liked you a lot. You remind me of her."

Jack handed her the dagger, and tears fell down her face as she held back choked sobs of happiness before cutting her palm. She gave Jack the dagger back and he made it vanish in thin air. "Give me your cut hand, Jack." He did as she asked and she hovered her hand lightly over his wound, healing it as both of their hands started to glow. I watched with an overjoyed heart as the glow dimmed, and I clutched a hand to my chest.

"J-Jack..." I croaked out as Josephine stepped away. "...do you realize what you just did?"

"I'm one hundred percent your son...and Cupid's son. I have my Mother and Father right in front of me."

"You're a complete noble, Jack." I told him. "You're not just part noble, because of me. You're completely noble. This changes your children's blood as well, but they won't notice. Not until we tell them."

"That's fine. I'm just glad the two of you have each other."

"Jack, you will never cease to amaze me, my boy." I told him as I wrapped my arms around him. "And to think all of this started with you crashing into me."

"No kidding." He laughed as he quickly returned the hug. "It was a new beginning for everyone."


End file.
